Guardians of the Legacy: The Vessel
by Lil' Miss Mezzo
Summary: Lightning Farron believed she and her friends were safe. When a chaotic darkness pulls her to a strange land, she finds magical orbs called materia, a new job within the WRO, and a man she can't help but feel drawn to. With him and his friends by her side, Lightning has to discover her place on the Planet or become prisoner to the mysterious force pursuing her. Part 1 of a trilogy!
1. I Can Do This On My Own

**I Can Do This on My Own**

_**More than one miracle took place that day. Cocoon was saved by Fang and Vanille's sacrifice, we awoke from our crystal sleep, and our brands were gone. Our fight had just ended, but I couldn't relax. A new battle was about to begin.**_

She was glad Serah had awoken from her crystal slumber. She was relieved most of the citizens of Cocoon were saved from the fall. The Sanctum fal'Cie were gone, and a sense of free will was fully restored. Everyone was ahead of her, looking up at the crystallized Cocoon with awe and wonder, and she followed suit.

Snow and Serah had already moved on from the phase of awakening from crystal stasis and decided to continue with their wedding plans. In truth, Lightning was glad they easily returned to their normal selves; it made the stress and shock a lot easier to handle. She lightly chuckled at the sight of Dajh and Sazh, feeling that the reunion between the father and son was well-deserved. As for Hope, he would soon be reunited with his own father, who was kept in a safe haven by the Cavalry.

All was right in the end, for the most part.

…So why was there still some doubt in her mind?

"_**Bring back the Maker!**_ _**Open the door!"**_

The bellowing voice echoed through her ears. Lightning cringed at the sound, covering her ears and shutting her eyes tightly. Glancing up, she was confused as to why the others hadn't budged, as if they didn't hear a thing. "You guys," she called out, yet none of them responded. Snow and Serah continued to hold hands, Dajh was on Sazh's shoulders, and Hope stood next to them as a fellow companion…and none looked back toward Lightning.

"_**Chaos! Rid our world of this failure, and we will start anew!"**_

Twirling around, she saw waves of dark entities surrounding her, cutting off the rays of sunlight from the skies. She looked back at the others, who remained oblivious to the arriving darkness, which had soon crept upon them as well. Their forms began to slowly dissolve, the entities eating away at them.

"Watch out!" Lightning screeched. Before she had a chance to catch up to them, the darkness threw her to the ground. She struggled to get back on her feet and escape, but soon the ground shifted and formed treacherous cliffs and gaps, blocking her path. Feeling the terror catching up to her, Lightning made a leap over a crevice, grasping on to an elevated section of the land with only her arms, but the ground continued to tremble, weakening her grip onto the cliff and reality. A sharp pain rose up from her leg as her knee scraped against the side, and she could feel the blowing dirt and dust already infecting it.

"What the hell is going on?!"

The darkness found the chance to wrap around her neck, choking and pulling her off of the cliff. Its incredible strength won over her attempts to hold on, and it surely didn't make things easier by cutting off her air supply. Like a strong arm, it fiercely tugged her down, weakening her clutch onto the cliff. "Get off me!"

She gave one final helpless glance to her sister and friends. Ignorant of what was happening, it was like the darkness was blinding them internally, cutting their minds off from reality. Lightning saw Serah turn toward her fiancé Snow with a smile; though she would have normally been glad to see her sister's happiness, the very fact that none of them could see or help her tugged on her thread of hope. It began to unravel and, just like her grip on the cliff, became loose altogether, allowing her to be carried away by the darkness. As her sight of her immediate and symbolic family vanished, they were replaced by a menacing and fearsome countenance in the shrouds of darkness - a humanoid creature with glowing gold eyes and savage teeth, screeching out at the top of its lungs.

Just when she thought the world would give her a pardon for being a savior, it instead dragged her away to her punishment. All light vanished around her, and Lightning was left to dream indefinitely.

_**The darkness caught me in its embrace, wrote me out of this history...and into a new one.**_

* * *

It was just like any other trip to the Sector 5 church: riding across the now complete highway became a regular basis. No one else really used the road, for they didn't truly want to return to the city of destruction and relive the haunting memories. For more than two years, Midgar was abandoned…except for the one person who used to live in a dilapidated church.

Cloud sped straight through Midgar City limits, eager to pay his usual respects. As he drove through the ruins, he remembered every detail of his battle with Kadaj and, ultimately, Sephiroth. Shinra's main office was deteriorating faster than before since the battle with its greatest SOLDIER; there were even sensations from the scars and wounds all over Cloud's body just thinking about the incident. Yet thankfully, with the help of his friends, he was able to put down the madman and rid of the world of Geostigma.

After taking the usual route to Sector 5, he parked Fenrir a few yards from the main entrance of the church. One of the side blades was taken out of the compartments and laced in the holster on his back – to ensure he had protection if any wildlife chose to visit along with him. As he walked up to the church, he saw the occasional glimpse of a wolf looking back at him, almost pleading for him to cheer up. It would usually appear whenever depression grabbed hold of his heart, only staying long enough to remind him that he was alone no longer. Today, it appeared just before the church's steps, looking at him with its blank eyes and expression.

"I know," Cloud told the wolf as he approached, stopping just a few inches away. "It's not getting the best of me. I won't let it." He had made the resolve months ago, after defeating Sephiroth one last time.

Regardless of his answer, the wolf simply turned to nod toward the church's doors, something it had never done before. Cloud looked at the doors curiously, wondering what it was referring to. "What is it, Fenrir?"

He walked past the wolf and up the steps, cautiously laying a hand on the side blade's grip. Trusting his senses, Cloud slipped back into his idealized SOLDIER persona and became tactful, instinctive, and deadly. The wolf's indication alerted him that something was off, and danger could have been waiting for him within the church. Though he was not the religious type, it still enraged him that someone would come and defile a sacred place, especially when it held great importance to him. Cloud gently pressed his hand on the church's door and pushed it slightly forward, just enough to make a crack for him to peer through. Peeking inside, nothing was out of the ordinary; not even a sound was heard except for the movement of the water in the front.

And then he heard it. The wind pushed the water up against something solid, too large for it to be just any random debris. He was sure the church wasn't deteriorating any farther, not since Kadaj created the hole that opened up for the Lifestream's water to enter.

Cloud pushed the door even more, slightly pulling out the side blade in preparation for combat. As he stepped inside, birds that were perched up by the rooftop flew through the gap. Everything else seemed to be exactly the way it was last time he visited…

Except for the lone figure in the water.

Dazed for a small moment, Cloud finally got back to his senses and rushed over, dropping his side blade along the edge of the water before jumping in. His heavy clothing proved to be no challenge in moving through the water, and he quickly picked up what seemed to be a young woman bridal style. Her waterlogged garments made it tedious for him to trudge over and lay her across the edge. When he finally jumped out of the water, he rushed to kneel beside her and shift the pink hair away from sticking to her face.

"Hey, wake up!" He shook the young woman by the shoulders until her eyes began to flutter. "Are you okay?"

After a few moments, the woman writhed and turned herself over, coughing and spitting out water that almost drowned her lungs. Once the fit was over, she struggled to open her eyes and took deep breaths to calm her pulse. Debilitation swept over her, and she fell back into Cloud's outstretched arms before glancing up into his worried eyes.

"Serah," she muttered with a weak and worried breath before passing out once more. Cloud gently laid her head back to the ground and fixed her in the most comfortable position possible. He noticed the gash on her right knee and was sure it required medical attention. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed that the wolf was no longer in sight; though it may have seemed like a coincidence, his meeting with the woman may have had a meaning behind it.

Either way, it was up to him to assist her now.

Returning the side blade to the holster on his back, Cloud went back to his bike and fetched materials. He was known to be altruistic at times, even more so after he stopped Kadaj and his gang months ago. Furthermore, and he could not explain why, but there was something about the woman that drew him to show his lighter side, despite not even knowing her. In the few minutes he knew about her, Cloud saw that she was vulnerable and caring while keeping up a tough front, as evident by her clothing and holstered weapon.

He couldn't just leave her alone.

* * *

Bitter wind began to sweep through the church, reaching Lightning and nibbling at her skin. It was enough to pull her out of her slumber, and she achingly opened her eyes to find herself in an unknown building. It was too dark to see much, though there was a small source of light in the far corner of her eye.

'_Darkness…'_

With a quick gasp, her memories flooded back to her: the dark waves, the bellowing voice, and trembling ground filled her being with calamity. She immediately sat upright, her upper body being more exposed to the cold wind. There was a small lantern by her feet and a few medical supplies, but what she focused most of her attention on were her surroundings. The lantern and the stars illuminated what appeared to be a rundown church, and a small pool of water stretched across where an altar should have been. She was laid close to the front pews; looking down, she realized an adequate blanket was protecting her from the cold, and her gunblade and pouch were laid next to her.

As she shifted in her position, Lightning noticed something tight wrapping around her leg. Peering under the covers, she found her right knee bandaged up, and it reminded her of the incident of her scrape from when she ran from the darkness.

"Just what was that?" she asked herself in a hoarse voice, gathering the blanket in her tight fists. "Chaos? Where did it come from?" All at once, the joy and relief she felt from saving Cocoon was ripped away by a strange entity, and now she was lost in an unknown place by herself, for she was sure that since no one else saw the darkness, they weren't affected.

She heard footsteps approaching just on the other side of the church's doors, and she relapsed into her Guardian Corps intuition. Grabbing the gunblade, Lightning sped to hide beside the front pews, flipping her weapon into its gun mode. Staying as low as possible, she listened to the heavy footsteps walking through the center aisle.

'_Boots, considering the heavy footsteps,'_ she analyzed quickly. _'Most likely male. Well-timed pacing – he's in perfect health.'_

As the enigma drew closer to where she originally was, the footsteps came to a halt, and there was silence for many long seconds. She heard items being set down on nearby pews.

"It's not wise to move around so much with that knee, let alone go far," she heard a man call out. She deduced that he could have been somewhere in his twenties. Despite being a stranger, he was right about her condition – she could still stand and walk normally, but her combat skills were going to be reduced for the time being. Giving up her planned assault, she stood from her cache and aimed her gun at the man, who in response drew a blade in her direction.

"Who are you?" she demanded with cold eyes. "And where am I?"

The man kept a firm yet reasoning attitude. "Put down your weapon, and we can talk this all out."

Lightning grew impatient. "Where am I? How close are we to Cocoon?" Her voice reflected her anxiety, shooting up in its tone.

"Cocoon?" the man asked calmly. "I've never heard of it. Is it a new town recently built?"

Gritting her teeth, she took a step toward him, her arm and gunblade quivering with rage. "Enough screwing around! Are you a Pulsian or what?!"

He lowered his weapon in defeat and pointed toward the pool of water at the altar. Lightning didn't rip her eyes away from him. "I found you in there earlier. I dragged you out and patched you up, and the person who just saved you shouldn't be receiving this kind of attitude." His words did nothing to ease the tension; Lightning still had him at gunpoint, her finger ready to pull the trigger. The man sighed before sticking his blade into the ground and holding his hands up.

"Look, I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Cloud – Cloud Strife. What's yours?"

As vigilant as she was, Lightning had little chance of surviving through an unknown place alone, especially if it's somewhere on Pulse. Now that she's no longer a l'Cie, the powers that came with the curse are also gone, and her survival rate dropped close to zero. She had to give in to the circumstances and trust the man, but she made sure her guard wouldn't falter.

"Lightning," she replied, lowering her gunblade. "What is this place?"

"A church," Cloud said while gathering the supplies he left on a pew. "I lived here alone for a while, but I recently moved back to the city next to here."

"And 'here' is…?"

"Midgar. It _was_ the most technologically advanced place before it got destroyed. And what's all this 'Cocoon' and 'Pulsian' stuff about?" Walking toward the lantern, he set down the supplies and sat himself down next to them, watching Lightning as she continued to observe the church, lost in her own thoughts.

She looked at him with confusion. "Pulse – the world below Cocoon that harbors the wildlife and natural evolution…" The mirrored bewilderment in Cloud's eyes was enough to convince her that he knew nothing about the world she knew. "Okay, then. So what world is this, according to you?"

"It's called the Planet. There are lots of town and cities, some villages…Plenty of them have reactors built by the Shinra Company to harvest mako and create materia..."

As he continued on, she grew more agitated by the second. Nothing was adding up, and little by little, her world disappeared like a dream.

"…Are there…fal'Cie?" she asked hesitantly. If there was something about her life that was definite and true, it would be those higher beings that controlled her for most of her life. That was all she needed to hold on to the sense that she could get through this wild dream and hopefully wake up.

But Cloud just frowned and shook his head. "What are those?"

Her heart sank at the idea of her whole world being a lie. She was sure it all happened: Serah, the fal'Cie, her Focus…It couldn't have just been all in her head. What if she was still dreaming, having never woken from crystal stasis after defeating Orphan?

He could see that she was too far in her mind to try and talk anymore. Silently, she sank to the floor, keeping her head down as if all hope was gone. More minutes passed, and Cloud was sure there was no will left in her to keep trying and defy her fate as a prisoner in a new world. About an hour later, there was still no movement, giving him the safe feeling that she wouldn't try and ambush him in his sleep.

Packing his things away, Cloud was about to turn off the lantern when he glanced in Lightning's direction. She gave no response to anything he did.

"Listen, we'll head to my town in the morning. It's close by, and then hopefully, my friends and I can help you out."

Still, nothing. He thought about the immense weight everything has been on her: possibly due to a delusion, she was still frustrated about how her world has been turned upside down. She may have been overly exposed to mako, like how Cloud was when he and Zack broke out of Nibelheim…but it wasn't like she was brain-dead. She still had coherent thoughts – no signs of intoxication whatsoever.

Walking over, he picked up the blanket and carefully wrapped it around her shoulders. Despite the close proximity, Lightning didn't move at all. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, her lips in a fixed frown; he didn't want to say anything else to upset her even more.

Cloud went back to settle himself next to the lantern, lowering it to a dim flame. The woman was tough, but for her to be in a world completely new to her, the strong cold front would deteriorate soon. Perhaps answers would be found back in Edge, he thought to himself before surrendering to fatigue and slumped into a position similar to hers.

* * *

He gave no hint that he was awake. Instead, he listened quietly as she prepared herself to leave the church, and the very fact that she did her best to conceal her movements suggested that she was taking off on her own.

It would have been cruel to dampen her efforts of pushing forward through her frustration, but Cloud knew well enough that she wouldn't get far on her own, especially with that knee. After Lightning strapped on her holster and pouch, she headed out the main doors, and he wasn't sure if she was aware of him getting up from his own spot to follow her. Watching her from the doors, he noticed how she walked tall with pride, unwilling to give in to her terrible predicaments.

"The wildlife's gonna chew you up, y'know," he called out. Though his words irritated her, Lightning continued on. Sighing at her fickleness, Cloud ran back inside the church and pulled out various offensive materia. He tucked them away before jogging out to follow a good few feet behind her. "You should take some materia to help with the fighting."

She turned on her heel and glared at him with ferocious eyes. "I don't need your help!" she growled. "I can do this on my own."

Cloud didn't believe a single word she said, not after meeting her just hours ago. Stepping forward, he was about to explain himself when there was a low growl from behind him. He spun around and noticed a pack of bloodthirsty wolves sauntering toward the both of them, their eyes glaring with hunger. Lightning unsheathed her gunblade and changed her stance, but her knee proved to be a hindrance in her fighting abilities. Running was out of the question, leaving her to just be a crippled meat sack waiting to be chomped on.

Just when they thought things couldn't get worse, more of the wolves' pack emerged before Lightning, and the two of them were cut off from easy means of escape.

"Here!"

He tossed Lightning a palm-sized green orb, which she caught with ease. As she looked at it curiously, Cloud still raised his sword against the wolves surrounding them. "It's materia," he called over his shoulder. "It lets you use magic and other skills."

Again, something that she had absolutely no experience with was thrust into her hands to ensure survival. "How do I-" she started, but he already raised one of his arms up for her to see, and there was a deep green spherical glow underneath his skin. Billowing red mist surrounded his forearm, and flames appeared in his palm.

Her gaze shifted to an oncoming wolf for a moment, and before she could warn him of the attack, Cloud had already waved his arm and threw the flame straight at the creature. It whimpered from the burns, but it didn't stop Cloud from rushing forward and begin attacking with his sword.

With no time for hesitation or questions, Lightning brought the green materia close to her arm. Her eyes widened as the orb was easily absorbed by her skin; a rush of power coursed through her veins, and she felt nostalgic of the great powers she developed as a l'Cie. From the corner of her eye, she saw a small pack of wolves charging toward her, away from Cloud's targets. Mustering up as much willpower she could get in limited time, Lightning waved her arm toward the creatures, and thunderbolts shot out of her palm, striking the foes with tremendous force.

Surprise and accomplishment washed over her as she looked down at her arm again, and the orb continued to glow beneath her skin. "So that's how it's done." Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Cloud swing his mighty sword to easily decimate the wolves, in awe at his immense strength.

Once the rest of the wolves were finished, Cloud folded up his side blade and tucked it away before walking over to Lightning, who delicately removed the materia from her forearm. "Thanks," she said bluntly while offering it back to him. Instead of taking it, Cloud curled Lightning's fingers back over the materia.

"You keep it. Until your knee gets better, you're gonna need something to help with a fight."

As he walked past to head to his bike, Lightning slowly brought her curled hand to her chest, her mind somehow incoherent. The place where his hand brushed her fingers remained warm, some of the heat rising up her arm toward her face.

'_It's…It's probably just his materia,' _she told herself.

Turning around, she saw Cloud wheel a large black motorcycle closer to her. "I'm heading over to Edge. I'm sure my friends and I will be able to help you with whatever you need. If you want, you can ride with me."

Her gaze switched back and forth between Cloud and his motorcycle. It still puzzled her as to why he would go out of his way to help her, but she shouldn't be the one asking questions. If it weren't for him, Lightning would have probably been chewed up by some nasty creature if she dared to trek on an bad knee.

She waited by the motorcycle as he went back to the church and gathered his things. When he returned to put them away, Cloud also popped open his sword compartments and Lightning had to admit that she was impressed. He put away the side blade and mounted his bike with her joining him from behind.

"Hang on tight," he said over his shoulder. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride."

As he started the engine, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his waist, only tightening her hold when he began to drive. Cloud sped through the Midgar ruins with ease, and Lightning wondered what could have possibly happened to the city to be in this condition. Decay and desolation were everywhere, and she wondered if Pulse had looked like that after she disappeared.

Just thinking about her home only brought sadness. Lightning leaned her head against Cloud's backside to stop the tears from falling, and he didn't question it at all.


	2. You Don't Know Me Very Well

**You Don't Know Me Very Well**

Everyone watched curiously as they rolled into the town of Edge. Not many people from different villages came, and the residents were spooked by the mysterious weapon that Lightning carried.

Nevertheless, Cloud continued to drive toward their destination: 7th Heaven, a bar reborn after the destruction of Midgar. As they parked the motorcycle close to the entrance, a man approached them with a package.

"Excuse me, Mr. Strife?"

Cloud turned to him as the package was stretched out. "My mother in Junon just turned sixty-seven. I wanted to go there, but there have been storms recently brewing. If you could deliver this present to her…"

Lightning watched as Cloud casually took the package and began scribbling notes on the attached piece of paper. She wouldn't have imagined him as someone who would go out and do society an open favor like this. Looking up, she noticed a swinging sign on the building: 7th Heaven Bar & Strife Delivery Services.

"You're a mailman?" she asked after the man left the package behind. Cloud cocked an eyebrow at the use of the word.

"I use the term 'carrier'. Since people don't usually fight the things out there, they can't travel to different towns and deliver things. That's where I come in." He began counting familiar coins the man left in his hand, and Lightning's eyes widened in fascination.

"That's gil."

"Yeah, our currency. You know this stuff?"

Lightning nodded her head. "We also use it back on Cocoon and Pulse." She sighed at this one similarity between the Planet and Pulse, and yet it didn't make a difference. For all she knew, Pulse could have just been a figment of her imagination, and that she was all alone in this world.

He could see the worry spread across her face again; tucking away the gil, Cloud opened the door and lead her through the bar's entrance as she followed closely behind.

"Tifa," he said to a dark-haired woman behind the bar stand. She looked up after setting down a glass that she towel-dried, her eyebrows lifting up in surprise at the sight of Lightning. Cloud gave a quick glance to Lightning and walked toward Tifa. "This is Lightning. She was in the church in Midgar."

"Midgar?" Tifa asked curiously as Lightning slightly dipped her head. Remembering her manners, Tifa rounded the bar to offer out a hand. "Nice to meet you. Tifa Lockhart."

Lightning shook her hand, and she couldn't help but notice how her rich brown eyes surveyed her from head to toe for the slightest moment. Perhaps Tifa and Cloud are together, she thought, although based on Cloud's demeanor, he certainly didn't act that way.

Tifa turned back to Cloud, who sat himself down at the bar with a full glass of water. "Cloud, when did you find her?" she asked in a lower voice while approaching him.

"Yesterday, when I went to Midgar."

"What do you think happened to her?" she asked in a whisper.

Cloud shrugged. "At first, I thought mako overdose, but it's not that her memories are lost. It's like she fabricated a world of her own in her mind."

"Like what you did with Zack before you came to Midgar?"

He was hesitant in continuing the conversation, looking over his shoulder to Lightning, who just stood there in awkward silence. Following his gaze, Tifa got the message and apologetically smiled at Lightning. "If you're tired, you're welcome to rest in the rooms upstairs." She motioned toward the stairs across the room.

"Thank you," Lightning replied before heading toward the stairs. On the way, she exchanged a quick glance with Cloud, and her cheeks immediately grew the faintest pink blush that she tried to conceal.

Upstairs, she peered into the first room she could find. It was set up as an office: papers were piled up on a desk, underneath a pin board with maps and details of errands. Among the items on the desk was a framed picture of Cloud, Tifa, and two children smiling toward the camera. She wondered how they were able to live so calmly and normally, for she and Serah had constraints due to her military enlistment. If Cloud was able to be like this while fighting, just what was his motivation? Lightning had a feeling there was more to this story only what she had seen.

Continuing up the hall, she found a room with two beds. Deciding not to press awkward questions, she settled herself onto one of them and became surprised at how exhausted she was physically and mentally. Her eyes were glued onto the window across the room; Lightning imagined herself back at Bodhum, and in her mind, she saw the calm blue water with seagulls flying along the shore. The townspeople were bustling around, preparing for the beachfront fireworks display. Amongst all that excitement and joy, no one could have imagined that there was a Pulse fal'Cie in the Bodhum Vestige just a few miles down the block. Her birthday was the following day, and had she known about what was to come, Lightning could have helped Serah instead of push her away.

But then she remembered: becoming a l'Cie was her fate, no matter how hard she tried. Whatever she chose to do, she had to destroy Orphan and save Cocoon. Perhaps it was destiny that led her here: to the Planet. Maybe she was meant to face reality, defy the Sanctum fal'Cie, and leave that theocratic world behind. Lightning was free, but it also meant she had to leave those she cared about behind.

Tears spilled down her cheeks and onto the sheets, and she hoped something would grant her wish of dreaming again.

* * *

By closing time, Tifa just finished putting away supplies when Lightning finally came downstairs. She was dressed in wardrobe that Tifa pulled out while she was asleep: a gray longsleeve that fell off one of her shoulders as well as small black shorts.

"Hey," Tifa greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"

Lightning nodded with little enthusiasm. "Better than yesterday. Thank you…and I'm sorry for intruding."

Tifa just shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She looked at Lightning warily, hoping that she truly was feeling better than when she arrived. "Are you hungry?"

Lightning silently nodded before being led to a barstool. Behind it, Tifa took out a glass and water jug and began pouring; her eyes looked around, finding what could offer as food in such a short notice. "Cloud's on an errand," she said when she noticed the woman observing her environment. "Went to drop off that package you saw him take. He'll be back in a day or two."

"He went far?"

"Uh huh. Junon's on the other side of the mountains, but the storm reached the peaks in between us, so he rented a chocobo to go around."

From behind her, Tifa heard a sigh of relief, piquing her interest. "So there are chocobos here, too." Once she finished preparing a plate, she turned back around and cocked an eyebrow before setting the plate down in front of Lightning.

"He told me…That you're from a place called Cocoon."

Lightning hesitantly avoided her gaze as she picked at the food. "It's where my home was, before Cocoon fell down onto Pulse." Naturally, she expected Tifa to react just like Cloud had when they first met: a crazy person talking about some other world. To her surprise, the bartender simply nodded with a deep look in her eyes, as if she was absorbing this information with ease.

"Fell down? Was Cocoon above ground or something?"

"It was an independent continent, run by fal'Cie – entities that, to put it simply, created our world." As she continued to talk, her expressions became darker. "They fed and nurtured us our whole lives, making sure millions of people lived in time for a great big sacrifice."

Tifa was almost speechless at the thought. "…That's terrible…"

Lightning tightened her hand into a fist on her lap, making sure her anger didn't get out of control. "My friends and I…we stopped the fal'Cie just before they destroyed Cocoon, but once the fight was over, I ended up here." After a moment, she frowned at how silly her story may have sounded to Tifa. "It's nothing to worry about: it probably _is_ that mako stuff Cloud was talking about earlier."

However, she could barely believe that the twenty-one years of her life were just a hallucination. It was all real: Serah, NORA, Cocoon and Pulse…All of it couldn't have just been a lie if she never had a hint of it being so. Lightning had come too far to just easily accept that it was only in her head.

"I believe you."

At first, she thought she imagined those words…but Lightning looked up to see a comforting smile from Tifa.

"I've seen what mako intoxications can do, and they never go as far as to fabricate an elaborate world in the mind," she continued. "It couldn't have just been all in your head. I'm sure Cocoon and Pulse are really out there, somewhere in the cosmos."

"Cosmos…?"

"Yeah." Tifa looked over Lightning's shoulder and out the window, her eyes lost in the distance. "There's more than just the Planet…Your world could be out there, too." She said it so confidently that her words couldn't have just been lies to make Lightning feel better. Somehow, she was sure that there was more than just the Planet, mako, and materia.

And Lightning felt it: the small flame of hope igniting again, telling her to not give up and degrade into nothing. If it weren't for Tifa's encouragement, she probably would have been left to mope and lose herself into despair…But that wasn't going to happen.

"Thank you."

Tifa was slightly offset by the gratitude, but she smiled back anyway. "It was nothing."

Just then, two children came running in from a back room, giggling with excitement. One of them was a young girl with a braid held in a red ribbon; the other was a taller boy with messy brown locks. Lightning observed them curiously as they took their time to notice her presence.

"Are you the lady who was sleeping in our room upstairs?" the girl asked.

Lightning smiled in embarrassment. "I guess I am. Sorry about that." Her gentle attitude caught Tifa by surprise, who waited for a moment to see what she would do next. Lightning recognized the children as the other two figures in the photograph upstairs. "I'm Lightning. What's your name?"

"Marlene," the girl replied with a smile.

"And I'm Denzel," the boy said, jabbing a thumb back at himself.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lightning looked at Tifa curiously. "Are they yours and Cloud's…?"

Her words made Tifa blush wildly as she shook her head with a laugh. "Oh, no! Marlene's a friend's daughter. Her dad's travelling with an old friend, looking for an energy source different from mako. And Denzel is an orphan that we're taking care of."

"And Cloud and Tifa are just childhood friends," Marlene explained, prompting Lightning to turn back to the little girl. For some reason, her words made Lightning's chest feel a little lighter; the suspicion of a relationship never went away when she first arrived at the bar.

'_Still, what am I getting worked up over…?'_

It surprised her how calm she was in this new world. Back on Cocoon, before becoming a l'Cie, she feared deployment to Pulse, fearful of trekking unknown lands. After everything she's gone through, Lightning was just relieved that she no longer had to follow laws that people and deities restrict her to, just because she owed them her life. Anger and frustration was able to fuel her enough to get through her fate as a l'Cie.

But how was she supposed to leave her life behind? If what Tifa said was true – that Cocoon and Pulse were somewhere out there – how could Lightning find a way to put it in the past and make use of the new life in front of her?

Something caught her eye as she watched Denzel and Marlene chat with Tifa in the bar. Despite his terrible childhood, the boy was able to smile so naturally as if this was his real family. How often did Lightning see Serah smile like that after their parents died and she changed her name? Soon after that terrible incident, she already graduated and immediately threw herself into the military, spending less time with her sister, the last of her family.

Serah was soon to be on her own – to start a family with Snow, go to college, and begin a fresh life. No matter how she looked at it, she wasn't going to need Lightning to guide her anymore, not that she needed much guidance to begin with. The young woman was more than capable of handling herself…just like her older sister.

"Hey, Tifa."

The woman in question looked up to see Lightning stare off into space, lost in her own thoughts.

"Earlier, Cloud told me that people don't usually fight the things out there…roaming around between towns. Isn't there some type of system to help fight them off?"

Tifa blinked curiously before answering. "Well, there _was_ a military branch of this mega company a few years ago that helped, but since the company's downfall, everyone's left to fend for themselves. So, pretty much no one leaves their towns, and it's basically up to Cloud to travel around and deliver things for them."

Intrigued, Lightning easily understood. It would have been as if Cocoon had no Guardian Corps to help deal with rampaging wildlife, and even though the branch wasn't as "important" as PSICOM, it was critical in maintaining peace for the citizens. If there was no one to protect the people, destruction would ensue and the citizens would pay the price. She remembered Colonel Rosch of PSICOM; though he was a bit extreme and cold, his efforts to protect Cocoon's people were earnest and strong, and it was probably due to those efforts that the Purge and l'Cie chaos was delayed for so long.

That was what these people needed: a strong group to protect them and create a calmer peace than they had ever known.

"Although…"

Lightning looked back to Tifa, whose eyes perked up as she remembered something. "I know someone who's forming a group to serve as a substitute military."

The young woman's aura changed: she wasn't confused or lost in a new world, but rather determined to make the most of it. Just as she resolved to change her name and overcome her painful past, Lightning decided to do what she can with this new opportunity bestowed upon her.

* * *

Cloud was lucky there wasn't much wildlife roaming the grasslands and Junon area. Thankfully, the chocobo farm had a gold chocobo for rent, though it was still pricey. It practically made the trip worthless since there wasn't very much income overall.

Once he returned the chocobo and mounted Fenrir, he wondered how Lightning was, especially when he left without a word. Tifa and the kids wouldn't have minded because they were used to it, but he was worried Lightning still had a hard time adjusting to life on the Planet. Cloud hoped the mako intoxication subsided…if it was intoxication to begin with.

'_I wonder…'_

Mako intoxication would have only melded what was already there in her conscience; it shouldn't have allowed her to fabricate a world of her own. What if she truly was from another world? Back then, Sephiroth was certain that he could use the Planet as a way to travel the universe; there was no way he could have been completely insane if he definitively knew he could do so.

Should he believe Lightning's story and help her get back home? Just thinking about her leaving in such short time somehow felt wrong. Though she was just a stranger like any other person Cloud could have just met, he wanted to know her more, to open her up and help her get used to life on the Planet.

He shook his head as he rolled into Edge, chuckling to himself at how soft he suddenly became toward Lightning. Once he parked by 7th Heaven, however, his eyebrows knitted together with curiosity as a familiar man walked toward the entrance.

"Reeve?"

The brunette man stopped in his tracks before turning toward the voice, a smile forming upon his face. "Ah, Cloud!" he said while changing his course. "How have you been?"

Cloud dismounted his bike and stopped a few feet in front of Reeve. "Doing good. What's going on?"

"Tifa called." Reeve jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, back to the bar. "Apparently, you two have a new friend who wants to work with the WRO."

"You mean Lightning?" Cloud asked in shock. He honestly didn't expect her to know much about Reeve and the rest of the Planet, let alone his organization. Doubt and worry started to fill his mind.

"Yes. I came to evaluate her skills."

"But she's injured; she won't be able to move around and fight for a while." For some reason, he became mildly irritated. Of all people, he was sure Tifa knew better than to let Lightning move around too much in her condition. How was she going to be able to prove her abilities to Reeve?

"Well, it was Miss Farron herself who requested this 'interview'."

Confused at this turn of events, Cloud made his way around Reeve and headed into the bar, where Tifa poked her head out. "Cloud," she greeted, blinking her eyes with surprise. "Hey, Reeve! Lightning's ready."

"Tifa, what's going on?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Lightning can't possibly be…" But a peer over her shoulder told him otherwise. On one of the tables, Lightning was dressed in her cleaned uniform, at the ready like a true soldier. She faced the opposite side of the table, silent and still, determined to see this chance through to the end.

"She wants to join WRO," Tifa told Cloud. "It's the closest thing to military…after Shinra and SOLDIER ended."

Striding in, he took the seat across from Lightning, looking into her pale aqua eyes. "This won't help you return to Pulse."

Her brow twitched, mildly irritated at the thought that would never leave her mind. "I'm aware of that. To tell you the truth, I'm willing to accept that I'm stuck on this Planet for the rest of my life." She took a deep breath, absorbing what she said so that she could stick with her words. "So, might as well use it to help people here."

Albeit noble, he was still edgy about throwing her into battle. Cloud was well aware that the WRO gave numerous sporadic deployments, meaning Lightning could be anywhere at any random time. It would be difficult to get a hold of her throughout her service, something that he for some reason would not let go.

"How are you going to fight?" he shot out, saying the first thing that came to his mind. "Your knee's not gonna do you any good."

"I've been able to fight with injuries before," Lightning answered immediately. "Materia will make things easier, once I get used to them."

"It's gonna be hell for you out there." From the look in her eyes, he was aware that there was almost nothing to talk her out of this. She was fierce and determined in whatever she set her mind to, but Cloud gave one last ditch effort to spare her from pushing herself to her body's limit.

But all he got was a tiny smirk as Lightning's eyes grew with an intense fire. "You don't know me very well." She had gone to the wild and untamed Pulse by her own free will, grew stronger, and returned to Cocoon to rebel against her fate. She fell many beasts and monsters, learned various skills and strategies…

This new hell wasn't going to stop her.

Interested, Cloud returned her smug look and leaned forward. "Then I guess I'll just have to see for myself."

Unbeknownst to them, Tifa was observing the two of them with intrigue, catching some unseen similarity. In her eyes, it was as if they were mirror images of each other, sharing an admirable trait that drew people close to them.

"Miss Farron?" they heard as Reeve entered the bar. Lightning got up from her seat and nodded toward him, a clear sign of respect.

"Mr. Tuesti."

"Oh, please. Just call me Reeve. A friend of Cloud and Tifa's is also a friend of mine."

Cloud relinquished his seat to Reeve, and Lightning also sat down from across the table. Within seconds, Reeve was already impressed by her mannerism and determination. "Have you ever been in service of any militia?"

Lightning hesitated for a moment; by the bar, Cloud and Tifa wondered what she would offer as an explanation. No matter how they looked at it, simply blurting out that she came from a different world would ruin her chances of making a good impression.

"I have, sir. I was in a branch of military responsible for maintaining peace and stability. The branch's goal was to protect citizens and secure cities in cases of emergencies."

He nodded while glancing toward her mysterious weapon propped against the leg of the chair. "How well can you handle that piece?"

Picking it up, Lightning turned it around in front of them for Reeve to see. "Perfectly," she replied. "I was testing it for the branch; it functions as a gun for long range shots…" With the flick of her wrist, the hilt extended into a sword next to her; everyone around her lightly jumped with curiosity. "While changing into a blade for closer strikes." After a few short moments, she folded it back up to rest in her lap, her eyes calmly returning to the amazed Reeve.

A gleam in his eye warned them of a change. After absorbing her words, he appraised Lightning one last time before nodding. "Congratulations, Miss Farron. You'll be the start of our new division: Midgar Area Patrol."

All three of them looked at Reeve in bewilderment. In such little time, Lightning had given him a frivolous background check that surely wasn't sufficient enough for employment. A few questions were all it took to get her a position?

"Reeve," Cloud said cautiously while taking a small step toward him. "You're serious?"

He pursed his lips and nodded, for he felt an explanation was bound to be needed. "What WRO needs is people who are more than willing to fight for the citizens, to throw out fear and lay down their lives for the sake of the future."

Lightning still wasn't convinced. "But sir, my background…I can't support that claim…" Right off the bat, her story sounded like a wild fantasy. She knew her world was far different from life here on the Planet, and she was sure Reeve wouldn't trust anyone who had only been on this land for less than a week.

"I could already see the experience already there," he replied. "You would help to protect these people you don't know, risk yourself for them…_that_ is a true soldier. I don't need a certificate or license – what I would like to see are your skills."

They all thought of his words: it didn't matter that they were strong legends like Genesis and Sephiroth. What people needed to help them was the will to fight and people who had that will. At that moment, something clicked in Cloud's mind…

Heroes weren't chosen based on what others say. Years ago, Zack had been a hero long before his demise in the outskirts of Midgar. Cloud made sure his memory always continued on…inside him, his living legacy. Looking at Lightning, she already had the will and spirit of a hero, and that was more than enough for Reeve.

"You want to see me on the field?" Lightning confirmed while getting up to her feet.

Reeve nodded. "Just to observe the extent of your abilities."

"But Reeve…" Tifa was about to express her concern, but Cloud raised an arm before her, halting her efforts. He looked over to Lightning, whose confidence didn't waver in the slightest at the challenge, though it didn't come close to a challenge in her eyes.

"Where to?" he heard her ask. Cloud smirked, excitement building up inside him as well. It was time to get to know her a little better…something he had wanted to do since the beginning.

* * *

They waited at the midpoint between Edge and Kalm; the chopper dropped them off on a hilltop overlooking a wide field, perfect for baiting wildlife. Lightning was careful with her movements, making sure she didn't screw up her knee before she even started fighting. Looking ahead, she noticed a few creatures that had large pincers atop their heads, accompanied by a few violet birds. They scoured the land, looking for a meal or just fresh meat to tear apart.

"Formulas and Edgeheads," Cloud commented beside her. "They're pretty fair fodder, but can become serious when they act together as a unit."

"Is this your way of scaring me off?" Lightning asked with a smirk.

He frowned. "This is my way of making sure you'll come out alive."

She rolled her eyes before descending the hill. "Just sit back, relax…and don't get in my way."

It puzzled him as to why she was unwilling to take his advice. She was unfamiliar to these monsters; surely, Lightning was going to need the opinions of one who had fought them before.

"Distancing herself from others; determined and independent." Tifa forced herself back from smiling too much as she took Lightning's place beside Cloud. Together, they watched Lightning descend to the bottom of the hill, close to facing the challenge Reeve gave her. "Doesn't that sound like a similar someone?"

Cloud remained silent, understanding where her words were coming from.

"How long has it been since we saw that side of Cloud?" After an ephemeral giggle, Tifa watched Lightning with eyes full of sympathy. "Give her time; she's been through a lot before coming here."

He certainly didn't want to get on her bad side. Truth be told, he was already aware that she could handle herself in relatively gruesome situations…so why couldn't he shake of this feeling of worry?

After thinking for a moment, he reached into his back pocket.

"Lightning."

She turned around in time to see a familiar yellow orb flying toward her. Thinking fast, Lightning caught it in the palm of her hand before observing it: yellow materia, which granted the wielder the use of thunder magic. As she looked up at Cloud with surprise, she couldn't exactly decipher the blank expression on his face, refusing to unveil his motives for assisting her.

"You forgot that," he called out.

Turning the materia in her hand, Lightning reviewed the way to use it, intrigued by this new skill of magic. "Thanks," she replied while turning back around to walk toward her targets. There was a small tug at the corner of her lips – excitement grew inside her for getting to use magic once more.

With a deep breath, Cloud watched her approach the clan of monsters, finally eager to see her abilities put to the test. He, Tifa, and Reeve observed carefully, vigilant for any ambushes or changes in their plans.

Lightning stopped a good couple of yards away from the monsters; the pincers and claws looked pretty deadly, what with her low level of power and resources. Even if she finally started attacking, it would only be a matter of time before the fight became overwhelming for her condition. Before making a final decision, she lifted up her foot and tapped her toes on the ground in quick successions. _'It seems capable,'_ she thought. _'Nothing I can't handle.'_

Pressing the materia against her skin, the nerves in her arm began to surge as a new power was at her disposal, free to use at will. The yellow orb illuminated in her forearm for a moment before fading away, and Lightning walked toward the creatures.

It didn't take long for them to notice her presence; one of the Edgeheads faced her with curiosity before releasing a shrill war cry. Within seconds, the other creatures snarled and screeched before dashing in Lightning's direction. She changed her stance, preparing for her first strike while unsheathing her gunblade in its gun mode. As they came closer, a large wave of her hand sent thunder bolts straight at the monsters, decimating a few of the front lines.

While the bolts continued surging out, she aimed her gunblade and already began shooting among the flying dirt and smoke.

"Impressive," Reeve commented. "Not one to waste time, eh?"

Though Cloud was impressed by her initial strike, it was just a one-shot chance. After unleashing the bullets, it took too much time to recoil her gunblade arm and start another wave of thunder to restart the process. Once she gave another strike and shoot, the remaining creatures were already too close for a third chance, and Lightning was surrounded by angered Edgeheads and Formulas, anxious to tear into her flesh. Even with materia, she was in close proximity to her targets that she could possibly be struck by her own attack.

"No!" Tifa clutched her hands into tight fists. "Even if she changes her weapon to a sword, she won't be able to get them all fast enough!"

Cloud was just as worried as her. With that knee, Lightning wouldn't be able to maneuver out of the way to properly strike, nor would she be able to run far for an escape. He reached behind to grab one of his swords until Reeve's voice broke through the tension.

"Don't go just yet," he said sternly.

Tifa looked back at him with confusion. "Why? Just to wait for her to get torn apart?!"

"She wanted this; a young woman like her was sure to know her capabilities and limitations in her condition. Lightning expected this from the beginning." Reeve chuckled at her determination. "Let's not dampen her efforts. Perhaps she'll surprise us."

Still worried, Tifa looked up at Cloud, his face expressing his frustration at how things were looking. "Cloud," she chastised. "You're not gonna let her go through with this, are you?"

Despite his opinion on the matter, Reeve was right: getting in her way would ruin her chances, not to mention angering her. With a small sigh of defeat, Cloud let go of his sword and returned his hand to his side.

Looking back to Lightning, Tifa saw the creatures circle her with a deep thirst for blood. Escape was not an option, but neither was defeat. With a growl, Lightning flicked her gunblade open into its sword mode, lowering her body into a slight crouch. She tapped her injured leg in rhythm, counting for the appropriate moment to make a move.

Unable to wait any longer, the Edgeheads charged toward her, prompting the Formulas to do the same. They blindly rushed to the middle where she stood…but in the blink of an eye, Lightning disappeared, and they were close to hurting each other. In confusion, they skidded in their tracks, looking around to find her again.

"What the-?" TIfa's eyes looked above the mob, widening in surprise like Reeve's and Cloud's. After leaping high into the air, Lightning curled herself into a tight ball until gravity made her descend back to the ground. The monsters were still confounded at the predicament, making her surprise attack better. When she was just inches away, she came out of her form and spun her sword around once her feet landed on the ground. Many of them took too big of a hit to survive while others were just severely wounded, but she planned a quick combo strike with a wave of her hand, sending massive amounts of thunder bolts to bring them to their doom.

"Amazing," Reeve breathed out while he observed her work. "Very strategic, indeed." Before he could comment any more, Cloud rushed down the slope, hurrying toward Lightning. Tifa instantly followed, but wondered what he was running for.

They ran through the corpses, and she finally saw how debilitated Lightning was; her injured leg was sporadically shaking with fatigue, and her balance was gone. Luckily, Cloud was there to catch her just before she toppled to her side, prompting her to clutch onto his biceps for support. "It's ok, I got you," he murmured to her.

When her gunblade collapsed to the ground, Tifa came over to pick it up for her. "Is it worse?" she asked, nodding to Lightning's knee.

Lightning shook her head. "Just a little stressed out, but it'll be better with some rest." She worked to turn around and head back to the cliff, but her first attempt to take a step forward almost had her eating dirt if Cloud hadn't caught her again. Without a word, he slung her arm over his shoulders, placing his own hand on her opposite hip to help her up on her feet.

She shot him a look of confusion, wondering why he was going so far to help her, but Cloud already began walking her back to Reeve and the chopper, and it was clear he was going to refuse any objections. Accepting his assistance, Lightning relented and did her best to hold onto him, which in turn surprised him of how quick she started to open up to him.

After they carefully traveled up the slope, Reeve approached them with a wide grin on his face. "Excellent, Ms. Farron. I had faith in you, but I certainly didn't expect those brilliant tactics. How do you feel about leading the Midgar Division?"

Initially, it caught all of them by surprise, but Lightning simply nodded with gratitude. "Thank you, sir. I'm honored." Tifa and even Cloud exchanged the smallest of smiles – things were quickly looking positive for her.

As they boarded the chopper, Lightning felt a part of her old self return. Her future was no longer the short-lived l'Cie who was going to end up either a crystal or a monster; she had a self-set duty to the world and the people who needed help. Her Guardian Corps days were flowing back…only now she didn't have to worry about leaving a younger sister by herself back at home.

Images of Serah flashed in her mind, along with Snow, Hope, Sazh, and everyone else back in her world. _'What are they up to?'_ she wondered. _'Now that I'm gone…'_ The heavy pain settled in at the memories, leaving Lightning to lean her head tiredly on Cloud's shoulder next to her. When he turned to her with surprise, her eyes were busy staring out the window with a forlorn look in them. Cloud could easily sense what was going through her head and heart, for she barely noticed how her body depended on him at the moment for support.

The rest of the flight involved his eyes never leaving her, and his pulse never faltered from its erratic behavior.


	3. Do You Trust Me?

**Hello, everyone! Nice to meet ya. I'm pleased to present my first ever Final Fantasy fic. Tbh, I never thought about writing for the series until I looked up how awesome Lightning and Cloud would be as an OTP. I wanna thank everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story, and I promise you won't be _entirely_ disappointed, given that I keep up my pace on updating.**

**Some of you already see the relatively quick pace I've been writing the storyline at in the first two chapters, but give me a chance to explain. Character development – they've all already done that. It would be kinda weird for me to write Lightning as _completely_ reverting back to her cold, standoffish persona again right after the events of the first game, where she's grown and learned to trust others. As for Cloud, he may seem trusting and warm-hearted from the get-go, but the both of them will be making some choices in later chapters that will do the whole "one step forward, two steps back" scenario…ish. They _will_ have conflict between them; I'm just giving them a chance to be comfortable with each other so that there _will_ be pain when one of them screws up….and I swear that does not make me a sadist.**

**As for the name of the world this story is in, I'm aware its official name is Gaia. However, I'm terribly used to simply "the Planet". That's how it's referred to in-game, in commercials, etc. so I'm gonna be using that name. I apologize in advance if it gets on anyone's nerves.**

**Anyway, thanks for stopping by to give my story a read. Let's get a move on to the third chapter, shall we?**

* * *

**Do You Trust Me?**

It took some time for school to start up again. When Geostigma was prevalent in Edge, they halted attempts to start an education system, for no one wanted to teach disease-stricken children.

Marlene knew it was hard for the adults to be around children for a while; the paranoia hadn't faded as quickly as the stigma. Still, she was glad changes were being made for the better, and the Planet seemed like a place worth living on. As one of the few children who usually left school with a smile, it was hard to miss her and forget to bid her farewell when classes ended.

"See ya later, Marlene!"

"Bye, Terra!"

After she waited by the entrance, Denzel showed up with his backpack slung over one shoulder. It was safer for them to travel together, and they headed back to 7th Heaven along the usual route.

Unexpectedly, a familiar young woman patrolled on a street nearby. She had a long red cape flowing down her left backside, and her weapon swung behind her thighs in a low holster.

Marlene's eyes widened along with her smile. "Lightning!" she called out.

Lightning stopped and looked over her shoulder to find the two kids running up to her, and she fixed her lips into a gentle smile.

"Marlene. Denzel. You done with school?"

They nodded in response before Denzel spoke. "You're already being put on patrol?"

"No, not yet," Lightning replied while placing a hand over her hip, somewhat annoyed herself by the slow process of things. "Reeve thinks I still need time to adjust and wait for him to muster up a team. Right now, I'm just taking a stroll…You guys heading home?"

Marlene and Denzel nodded again in unison.

"All right. Let's get going then."

It amazed everyone how strong Lightning was, physically and mentally, while still being gentle and open with them. She had come from a completely different reality – or so she said – and readily adapted in a matter of days. Even Lightning herself had a hard time believing it, but after everything she had gone through in her world, she was ready to believe in anything.

About a month had passed since Cloud found her in the Sector 5 church, and since then, he had immersed himself into helping her out in his spare time. A tour of Edge, lessons in materia, and even traveling to other towns to help her get used to the Planet – it didn't matter whether he was fatigued or juggling many tasks on his plate. He still did what he could to get Lightning used to life in this world.

Even Tifa helped introduce her to Planet life. Every night, she encouraged Lightning to show up downstairs at the bar, get familiar with the locals while quietly surveying for people too intoxicated or working to get into a fight. When trouble arose, Lightning quickly stepped up to settle the matters, sometimes with either throwing them out or brandishing the Blazefire Saber. She never really had to extend it for use, but it was extremely helpful when she revealed the muzzle of its gun mode. The patrons would quietly leave the bar, saving Tifa the hassle of dealing with them while still tending to other guests.

All in all, Lightning was able to ease the stress of being shoved into this new place…but something still worried her. Shouldn't she be using her time to finding a way back home – to Gran Pulse where Serah, Snow, and the others were? Surely, they would have noticed her disappearance and be trying to look for her.

She had considered the fact that it could have been only a dream, a figment of her imagination. Lightning was pretty sure she had already grasped the logic of mako addiction and effects it is said to have on the mind. No matter how real it seemed to be, Pulse and Cocoon seemed to be just make-believe in this place…But Tifa continued to support her claims time and again. The woman never even knew Lightning or this fal'Cie world, but she was willing to lend a hand and help in any way possible, even if it meant accepting new ideas and possibilities.

As the three of them approached the bar, they noticed Reeve and a new stranger waiting by the entrance. The new one's cloak was a crimson red and tattered at the ends. He adorned a golden clawed gauntlet on his left arm that matched the pointed sabatons on his feet. Long black hair trailed off his shoulders, and the cloak mysteriously concealed the lower half of his face.

With some enthusiasm, Marlene and Denzel approached the two men and smiled. "Hey, Vincent," Marlene greeted. "What brings you here?"

The man named Vincent simply cocked his head toward Reeve. "Ask him," he replied in a terribly deep voice. Reeve smirked at his reply before turning to face Lightning as she walked up to them.

"Ah, Lightning. This is Vincent Valentine – an ally of ours who's currently residing in Kalm, the next town over."

All it took was one glimpse at Vincent's face for Lightning to feel uneasy. Something in her chest dropped, and her breaths were gone for countless moments. It was their first encounter, yet she was definite that they had met somewhere; whether it was in real life or in dreams, she knew Vincent Valentine before.

When his crimson orbs looked upon her, Lightning could see the scrutiny. He didn't take long to reveal that she was a familiar person that he couldn't exactly remember. _'This man…who is he?' _It took her by surprise when he offered his hand out to shake, and she hesitantly shook it, her eyes never leaving him.

"He will be able to assist you," Reeve explained. "In case Cloud, Tifa, or myself are unavailable."

Lightning nodded. "Of course."

"And there was another reason we came to visit. Follow us, please."

Once Marlene and Denzel retreated into the bar, Lightning, Vincent, and Reeve traveled down to an abandoned corner of the town, where only a few residents lived. All the while, she continued to glance into Vincent's direction, the vague familiarity bugging her no matter how many times she tried to put the issue aside.

Reeve led them to a dilapidated two-story house; only scavenging rats and crows remained as regular visitors. When they entered, they walked down a long hallway toward the kitchen, where everything was scattered and tossed everywhere. None of the loose items were Reeve's goal, however, and he instead walked over to a long cupboard in the corner of the room.

"In case of an emergency." He reached for the cupboard's door and cracked it open, revealing a slim flight of steps into a dimly lit pathway. Lightning looked down into it in awe, amazed at the sly concealment of the secret passageway; almost no one would think of cache this far away from society.

"If anything were to happen, this is the path to take," Reeve explained. "Should civilians need a safe haven, you can lead them back here and instruct them to go down this path."

"But where does it lead?" Lightning asked.

"To the town of Kalm. That's why I asked Vincent to accompany me today. The path will lead straight to him in Kalm, and it will be he who relocates them somewhere safe. I wanted to be sure that you were aware of who he was and where you would be leading the civilians to."

Lightning nodded. "Understood, sir." When her eyes shifted to Vincent for the smallest second, she noticed how he was still observing her in deep thought. Although it irked her, what bothered her most was how familiar his face was. Lightning was never one to forget a face, so she was sure they had met somewhere before, in one way or another.

"Well then," Reeve concluded as he led them back out onto the streets. "I'm close to assembling a team for Midgar Area. You'll soon be in top shape, right? Just hone your skills for the time being and the team will be ready by next week. I have some business to attend to back at WRO Headquarters."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll keep in touch."

As he left, Vincent followed behind, and Lightning watched them with curiosity before she heard the rumble of a bike engine.

"Hey, Lightning."

She turned around to see Cloud mounted on Fenrir just as he cut the engine. As he took off his goggles, the sight overall had a mesmerizing effect on her, and she couldn't pull her eyes away.

"You done for the day?"

"Pretty much," she nodded while approaching him. "Reeve said that he was close to assembling a team, but had to go – something came up at headquarters. What exactly does the WRO do, anyway?"

Cloud smirked. "World Regenesis Organization. Their main goal is to find a new energy source other than mako. They have people finding a solution, but in the meantime, regular folks are still being unprotected. That's why Reeve's building a military." He then pointed at an intrigued Lightning. "Which you're a part of."

She grimaced as she folded her arms over each other. "Back to the good old days…" One thing that worried her was how this new job was going to remind her of Bodhum Security Regiment back on Cocoon. Lightning was the one that chose this path, but it didn't help stray from the memories she had to leave behind in order to accept this new life.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked after sensing her distress.

"Nothing," she lied, and he easily saw through it as he continued staring at her. Lightning let out a small sigh in defeat. "It's just that…There's still so much I don't understand. I know it may not seem like I'm getting confused by everything, but I'm doing all that I can, y'know? To keep going."

Thinking for a long moment, Cloud finally nodded and looked back to Lightning. "Get on. I'll take you somewhere." He revved the engine while Lightning looked at him confused. "Do you trust me?"

In the back of her mind, Lightning's old Guardian-Corps-self screamed at her to stop letting people in so easily. She had to be alert and strategic for the sake of becoming head of Midgar Area Patrol. Cloud may be someone she could rely on for help, but she didn't have to go so far as to open herself up to him.

But that was only a minority of her. Overall, her heart and body urged her to jump on and give the man a chance. Lightning never bothered to let anyone try back in Bodhum or, hell, even Cocoon. Every day, every second was spent on work and protecting Serah. Her self-destructive independence left her cold and distant, which unintentionally became a major factor in the curse placed upon their family and friends. Lightning knew much of the blame laid on her, and she didn't want to go through the pain of hurting others again.

She nodded as she climbed aboard Fenrir, gathering up her cape to keep it from getting caught in the wheel. When she wrapped her arms around his waist, an unusual reaction arose on her face: her cheeks began to flush a shade of pink, for she finally realized how well-toned his abdominals were. Almost immediately, she wanted to retract her arms to stop him from feeling the rapid beating in her chest, but Cloud had already set the bike into motion at high speed, forcing her to wrap around his waist even tighter like before.

Together, they sped out of the city limits, heading toward the mountains in the south, which happened to separate them from the Junon area. Cloud was very versatile in his steering of the bike, which seemed to fluidly move along with however he moved his body. Lightning admired how he drove through wastelands as if rocks, dirt, and debris were nothing…

And suddenly, the frustration and doubts were gone. It was like Cloud had stripped them away from her mind with one simple excursion, and she was left with nothing but to enjoy the cool wind on her face.

Once they arrived at the base of the mountain, Lightning noticed a small indent in the rocks, a faint green substance mysteriously emitting a glow. After cutting off the engine, she and Cloud walked over to the light, which spewed out like a fountain from a pedestal-like protrusion from the ground. Its glow shined brightly in her eyes as she marveled at its interestingly beautiful sight.

"This is mako," Cloud explained. "It's a particular form of the Lifestream."

"Lifestream…?" She looked at him curiously.

"The 'blood of the Planet'. It's what practically gives our world life and energy. In some places of the Planet, the Lifestream is condensed and leaks through the surface. This is where we get natural materia, though it's rare for materia to be created this way. Most of the ones we use are artificially made."

Out of interest, Lightning reached a hand out toward the mako spring, eager to know how it feels through her fingertips…but Cloud laid a gloved hand on hers, pushing it away.

"Don't," he warned. "Exposure to this stuff, especially in high concentration, can have bad effects. Catatonia, psychological disorders, even memory loss…"

"You sound like you're talking from experience."

The dark look on Cloud's face confirmed her assumption, and Lightning bit her tongue with regret. As she quietly cursed at herself, Cloud turned around to observe the dead space covering the land they traveled on.

"For a long time, a company called Shinra built reactors to drain the Planet of mako, using it to supply power to humans and research, sucking it dry for every gil it's worth." He then turned to face Lightning. "You've never seen mako before, have you?"

She shook her head, wondering what he was leading to with this mako 101 lesson.

"I guess it's true, then. You really aren't of this world." He chuckled softly as he scratched the back of his head. "Tifa told me she believed you, and from the look on your face, you've definitely never been exposed to mako. Well, if something got you here, something can get you back home, to Pulse."

"You think we can find it?" Lightning asked while taking a quick stride up to him. For some reason, the fact that he believed her gave her hope that there was a way back home.

With what seemed like hesitation, Cloud nodded, and a close to convincing smile formed on his face. "Sure. I'll help you get back home. That's what you want, right?"

Despite her great desire to be reunited with her friends and family, she felt guilty at the sight of his forlorn eyes. As a l'Cie and as a soldier, Lightning grew to easily read expressions, knowing what was really running through one's mind at the slightest hint of hesitation. They didn't know each other for very long, and yet it felt wrong to easily give up on life on the Planet and try to find a way back to Pulse. She already had everything she needed: a job to earn from and hone her skills, a roof over her head at the bar, and people who were willing to be there for her.

Did she really need to go back? Just what exactly was waiting for her back home?

Considering her options, Lightning turned her back toward Cloud, tentative about what decision to make. If she chose to find a way home, it would take years - maybe even the rest of her life - to find it. Was it really worth spending all that time, when she could just live here?

"…There's not much to return to," she spoke softly. Cloud knitted his eyebrows together as he listened. "My sister Serah…she was all I had. But ever since she was saved, everything's cleared out for her now. She's gonna get married soon, start her own family…she won't need me to protect her anymore. To tell you the truth, my biggest reason for going back was for her, to keep treating her like my baby sister…but I can't do that. Not anymore."

"But what about yourself? You're just gonna stay here, live a life like everyone else?"

Lightning tilted her head up toward the sky, staring at the rays of sun piercing through the clouds. She could envision Serah and Snow living together with the rest of NORA – like one big, happy family. Hope would be living with his father, who would be expectantly working in a modified government for the rest of the people. Sazh would be living with Dajh, working on to becoming a better dad. Everyone had their own slice of peace with a new future for them to look forward to…there was no need for her to be there.

"Better to take a step forward than taking one back," she murmured with the faintest of smiles.

Cloud looked on in awe; a woman like her would never smile so honestly. Many decisions were made in life – some that could be stood by, and others destined to be regretted later on. With the look in Lightning's eyes, Cloud was sure she had made a decision that she wouldn't repent. Maybe there _was_ a way back to Pulse, and maybe they will find it…

But until then, she was going to take what she can get and be happy with it.

"Right," he agreed, walking up to her. It was something he should have learned months ago. It wasn't healthy to dwell in the past and what had been. For too long, he carried the guilt of Zack and Aerith's deaths, losing sight of what was in front of him, and almost put everyone he cherished in danger. As soon as he let go of that burden, he found the strength to carry on, and the weight on his shoulders not only faded away, but made him a better person.

Lightning felt that sense of freedom again; no longer was she bound to an inescapable destiny forced upon her. In a world with no fal'Cie, she was free to make her own decisions, and the word "fate" had practically no meaning here…

Except somehow, she felt like she was meant to meet Cloud – the man who saved her from self-destruction in this new world with simple acts of kindness. Lightning had never expected him to accept her so easily, let alone care for her when she needed someone. If she had never learned to open up to anyone back when she was a l'Cie, she wouldn't have gotten the chance to see Cloud's heart.

* * *

As they got back onto Fenrir, neither of them knew of the strange soldiers watching from afar. Their armor suits were similar to old Shinra infantrymen, but their helmets had enhanced technological spyware, and data was instantly collected at the sight of Lightning and Cloud.

"_**Target acquired. Lightning Farron has successfully arrived on the Planet."**_

* * *

**When I usually address you, my readers, it's not always in such big blocks like above on this chapter. I was just using this opportunity to answer questions, clear things up, let you guys know about how I'm gonna go about with this fic.**


	4. What Kind of Magic Could Do That?

**What Kind of Magic Could Do That?**

News had eventually traveled about the new resident at the 7th Heaven bar, and many of the old friends had phoned in about wanting to meet her. Apparently, the WRO network was spread all over the Planet, thanks to the group joining it, and it was no surprise that Reeve would reveal the division now led by Lightning Farron.

"Lightning, eh?" Cid was immediately intrigued by some new girl staying with Cloud and Tifa. At the other end of the cell phone line, Cloud wondered exactly what was going through his head at the moment. "Well, don't mind if I do!"

"Huh?" Cloud was a bit confused at the conclusion of his train of thought.

"You're gonna throw a big shebang for her, right? Welcome the new teammate?"

"Uhh, not really. Cid—"

"This is great! I'll go ahead 'n pick up everyone else. Let's see, there's Yuffie all the way in Wutai…I can call up Barret 'n see where he's at…Oh, yeah! Can't forget Red!"

"Cid, you really don't—"

"Don't worry about it! I'll take care of lettin' Reeve an' Vincent know, so don't go worrying 'bout 'em. We'll be there tomorrow night, 10 o'clock sharp, so that the bar would be clear by then. You let Tifa know too, a'right, Spiky?"

"Wait—"

"Great! See ya then!"

After the line went dead, Cloud stood by the front door in shock before snapping his phone shut and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I take it Cid is up to his usual antics?" Tifa asked as she approached from behind, working hard to stifle her laughs. Cloud sighed as he mulled over the conversation.

"According to him, we're gonna throw a welcome party for Lightning tomorrow night. He's bringing everyone over by 10."

"Well, then. Looks like the bar's gonna be closed tomorrow." Tifa headed up to the office to make a sign telling her patrons of the change in plans. In the meantime, Cloud wondered how well this little reunion was going to turn out, and more importantly, how Lightning would feel about the gathering. He was sure she wasn't one to be the center of attention and would probably do her best to avoid it.

Just then, his phone rang again, and interestingly enough, the caller ID notified him that it was Lightning herself. Most of the time, she would wait until coming home to talk to him or Tifa, what with her patrolling taking up most of her time and concentration.

"Lightning?" he answered.

"Hey. Reeve just called me – telling me about my 'welcoming party' tomorrow?" He could hear the grin in her question, and it was clear she found this bit of information somewhat amusing.

"Uhh…yeah. Some old friends wanted to meet you, since they're also involved in WRO. Listen, it's all right if you don't want to go through with this. I know it's all sudden, so we won't make you go…"

"No, it's fine," she said gently. "It'll be nice for you to see your friends again, right? Anyway, I have to go back and finish training my unit. I'm assessing them on the field."

Cloud's mouth tugged down at one of the corners. "Come back in one piece, all right?"

Lightning abruptly ended her pace down the sidewalk; for some reason, her heart began to beat faster, her cheeks boiling beneath her skin. Even if it was a simple errand or task, Cloud would always warn her to be safe, though he should know well by now that she was more than capable of handling herself.

"Don't need you to remind me," she teased, and she heard him chuckle quietly on the other end. "I'll see you later."

"See ya." He secretly smiled to himself as he hung up and put his cell phone back in his pocket. It's been a week since Lightning received her own cell phone – a gift from Cloud and Tifa. After very little debate, which was mostly instigated by Cloud, they decided that it was a good way to get a hold of Lightning in case she was sent on a mission away from Edge.

After the get-together, she would be considered as one with the group. It intrigued him how much closer she would be…and perhaps she would open up to them more as a trustful ally.

* * *

"Daddy!"

Marlene ran straight into the arms of Barret as he stomped his way inside; the joy was clear on both of their faces as they were reunited once again.

"Marlene! You're getting bigger every time I see you. You're doing well in school, right?"

As Marlene nodded, Denzel came up to greet him as well. Behind Barret came Red XIII, Yuffie, and Cid – all of them toting gifts and treats from their hometowns. Tifa had just finished preparing the bar as Cloud set up the tables properly, and all that was left was Reeve, Vincent, and the guest of honor.

Yuffie, Barret, and Cid immediately went up to Tifa, hoping she would dish out anything interesting about Lightning. However, they only achieved meager information, for Tifa respected Lightning's space and told them to just ask her themselves.

"What?" Yuffie whined as she dropped her elbows onto the bar and leaned her head into her hands. "You're not gonna tell us?"

Barret sighed. "Well, we'll just wait 'til she gets here…When is she comin' back, anyway?"

"Her shift just ended," Cloud explained.

Yuffie suddenly rushed up to him, eager to push questions out of anxious curiosity. "Sooooo, how did you meet her? How did Reeve find someone to start a new division in WRO? I mean, this girl would need skill to be leading a team on her own!"

Over his shoulder, Cloud exchanged a quick glance with Tifa; both were hesitant in what to say. Everyone would be sure to call it a lie or some type of weird joke, but it wouldn't help to avoid the truth, either.

"I found her in Midgar," he simply told them, which left them a little befuddled.

"You mean like Denzel?" Barret asked.

"Not exactly…"

"She says she came from another world called Pulse," Tifa explained, prompting their eyebrows to knit together in confusion. Sitting at a table, Marlene and Denzel looked at each other with concern; it wouldn't be easy to convince the others to somehow accept Lightning's origins.

Cid scratched the back of his head. "Well…y'all don't think it's probably just mako poisoning?"

Cloud shook his head. "No way could mako have done this kind of thing. The worst it could do is making her brain-dead." The look he remembered in her eyes when they first met told him that none of it was a lie. Lightning was truly a stranger in their world…meaning that her presence there was some sort of paradox.

"What kind of magic could do that?" Yuffie pondered. "Of all the materia I've collected, there's nothing that could pull someone out of worlds or realities or whatnot."

They all thought about it for a while, and it was Red XIII who finally spoke with cautious words. "It sounds like something Sephiroth would do – traveling to another world, just like what Jenova had done thousands of years ago."

Hearing his name brought a shroud of silence over the bar. As if they had lost their voices, everyone remained quiet and fought to keep back the terrible memories of the madman. There was no way he had anything to do with Lightning's arrival on the Planet, or else the peace they thought they had finally attained months would shatter into despair.

"No way," Tifa said firmly, as if to convince herself along with the rest of them. "Sephiroth's dead. Cloud defeated him, _twice_. He's gone…and he's not coming back."

Turning away from the rest of the group, Cloud quietly tightened his hand into a fist. A few months ago, he vowed that man would only stay in his memories. Sephiroth had no place on the Planet unless it was for its destruction, which meant the lives of millions.

Lightning's presence here couldn't be because of Sephiroth…Cloud refused to give the possibility a chance, especially when he noticed Reeve and the girl in question approaching the bar. As he turned around to finish up, the two of them entered the bar, Lightning's eyes widening at the group of people she had never met before.

"You must be Lightning!" Yuffie exclaimed as she pranced up to the newest member of WRO. "I'm Yuffie Kisaragi – the single white rose of Wutai. Nice to meet ya!" Lightning stood dazed as the eccentric young woman shook her hand, wondering exactly where all this energy came from. In the back of her mind, the first thing popping up was Vanille with her happy-go-lucky ways. For a moment, things became dark and despondent…but she reminded herself to look on the bright side and leave the past behind her.

Reeve chuckled as he felt nostalgic at seeing her liveliness. "Yuffie is from a ninja village in the west," he explained. "Her father is the leader of Wutai – she's heralded as somewhat of a princess."

Lightning nodded in understanding before her eyes moved over to the large olive-toned man chatting with Marlene and Denzel. Although he was of considerable stature, what caught her attention was his mechanical arm that clearly had an underlying function. When Marlene began dragging him toward Lightning, his true height was revealed; he wasn't as tall as Snow, but it was still something to marvel at.

"This is my dad," Marlene said with a smile on her face.

"Barret Wallace," the man said while holding out his regular hand. Lightning shook it as Marlene beamed. "You've been keepin' Marlene and Denzel company…thank you."

Lightning gently smiled. "It's nothing, really."

A wolf-like creature emerged from beside Barret, its fiery tail swirling around. Lightning stared as she observed the tribal tattoos and battle scars, particularly the one over its right eye. "You can call me Red," it said in a masculine voice. She only nodded in response, amazed at the sight.

'An' you can call me Cid," a rough redneck voice shot out from beside her. As he appraised her from head to toe, Cid only smirked as his eyes twinkled. "Well, now. Cloud said nothing 'bout how tempting you look."

Cloud's eye twitched at Cid's choice of words, provoking a fire to spark inside. However, he didn't have a chance to voice his opinions when Lightning herself cocked an eyebrow at the remark.

"Tempting?" Her hand lingered over the grip of the gunblade, flicking the handle up in preparation of pulling it out. She shot daggers straight into Cid, who luckily got the message and nervously chuckled as he held his hands up.

"Hehe…I-I meant charming, of course." His fast save got him a free pass as Lightning slowly pushed the weapon back in its sheath; everyone around breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. No matter how much time passed, Cid was the only one who didn't really change.

"Where's Vincent?" Tifa asked curiously.

Everyone quickly glanced toward Reeve, who responded with a purse of the lips. "He declined the invitation. Probably didn't feel like joining this time around."

Lightning noticed how everyone gave the smallest hint of disappointment before continuing on with preparations. No matter how she looked at it, Vincent must have kept to himself a lot, if no one would press the issue any further. She herself couldn't help but feel deflated; somehow, she wanted to learn a little bit more about him, whether it be from conversations or just simple observation.

Once everyone settled into seats, Tifa passed around glasses filled with drinks, and there was an immediate chatter of adventures and stories. Barret was still searching for oil in hopes of ensuring supplies while Cid helped in constructing an airship fleet for the WRO. In the end, he revealed his plans to marry Shera, his assistant, which led to applause from the rest of the team. As for Red XIII, he had been taking his grandfather Bugenhagen's stead and continued the research of the stars and the Planet, hoping to somehow foresee the Planet's future. Lastly, Yuffie was able to put her ninja heritage to good use within WRO, tasked with espionage and intelligence gathering.

"So, hey. I've been meaning to ask you guys," she said with a serious face. This caught everyone's attention as they put their drinks down. "Has anyone been missing from your towns and villages? Like Edge, or even Cosmo Canyon?"

"No, but why?" Tifa eyebrows knitted together with worry. "Are kids going missing again?"

Yuffie wrung her hands. "Not just kids…lots of the adults, too. Most of the time, they would travel to the mainland and just never come back. We would send troops out as search parties…but some of them end up missing, too."

From across the table, Reeve and Lightning exchanged serious glances. Neither of them had seen nor heard movement that abducted or killed people; it was definitely something to look into.

"I'll take a look around," Cloud offered out of the blue, and everyone turned to him with wide eyes. Including Lightning, no one had expected him to go out of his way to help outside of Midgar Area. "Cid, you mind if I stay with you for a bit while I'm in the area?"

Cid nodded. "You sure can! Shera's been dyin' to see y'all again, especially you."

"You ain't treatin' her bad now, are ya?" Barret asked gruffly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, ya big lump?! I'm gonna marry 'er!" He playfully locked Barret's head in a vice grip, which led to him swinging around as Barret tried to wrestle him off. Around them, everyone else laughed at the sight, as their antics reminded them of the good old days.

"It's like any other family," Lightning murmured to herself, but from beside her, Tifa was able to catch the words and nodded in agreement.

"Yup," she confirmed. "We were all brought together two years ago, and now…there isn't any other family better than this."

It was going to be the one thing she missed most: her family. Of course, Serah was going to always be on her mind, but Snow, Sazh, and Hope were part of a family that changed Lightning forever. If it weren't for them along with Vanille and Fang, she would have been a C'ieth right now, aimlessly wandering all throughout Pulse. They all helped each other in their darkest hours, and Lightning made sure to keep them in her heart, no matter how far she was from them.

Cid reached into his back pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. "All right, you hairless ape! There's only one way to settle this."

Barret grinned from ear to ear. "You got it, you shitty pilot!"

"What was that?!" With fierce eyes, Cid pointed toward everyone else sitting around them before slamming the deck down onto the table. "A'right, everyone. Jump in and show this large piece of nothin' whatcha got! You too, Cloud." Cloud himself was lazily leaning back in his chair, its front legs slightly coming off the floor. "No runnin' off this time around!"

The man simply shrugged in response. "All right," he said before straightening up his chair and leaning forward. "Deal them."

After that, Lightning noticed the brief moment of silence surrounding everyone at the table, eyes looking in Cloud's direction. Some eyebrows shot up, and Cid's cigarette almost fell out of his mouth from a hanging jaw. She questioningly looked over to Cloud as well, who only kept up a straight face among the astonished expressions. He definitely wasn't going to answer any questions for a while.

Clearing his throat, Cid returned to his raucous self and grinned. "Excellent! Spiky's in. Time to whip all your asses!"

Denzel and Marlene laughed uncontrollably as they left the table, knowing that they sure weren't advised to stick around. Meanwhile, it was only Tifa and Lightning who passed up the offer as the rest of them waited for Cid to finish passing out the cards for a game of poker. The two of them cleaned up the table and brought everything back into the kitchen, with Tifa washing and Lightning drying with a dish towel. All the while, Lightning kept making glances in Cloud's direction, intrigued by the warm smile and chuckles he gave out as he played in between Yuffie and Barret.

"It's strange," Tifa pondered when she noticed Lightning's preoccupation. In turn, Lightning made sure to go back to her cleaning errand.

"What is?" she asked.

"Most of the time, Cloud wouldn't stick around long enough for these kinds of get-togethers. Once Cid and the others began lingering around, he would just go up to his room and call it a night."

"What do you think is on his mind this time?"

Tifa coyly smiled as she faced Lightning. "Probably you."

At the sight of Lightning's flustered face, Tifa began to laugh aloud, briefly catching the attention of everyone back at the table. When Cloud looked up, his eyes immediately went toward Lightning, but her back was turned to him, making him wonder what her expression was in reaction to Tifa's laughter.

"Oh, come on, now," she said in a lower voice so no one else could hear. "You really haven't noticed lately?"

Lightning sped to finish putting away the dishes. "Notice what?"

Tifa rolled her eyes and smirked. "Never mind. It's just me assuming things…But honestly, what do _you_ think of him?"

At that, Lightning hesitated and thought. Of everyone in Edge and the Planet, Cloud was constantly on her mind. It could have just been the fact that he was the first person she met in this world, but there was something about him that made her want to smile whenever he came up in her mind. Was it that he was similar to her: a hard exterior with a caring heart? Cloud was constantly there for her, helping her adjust when it really wasn't necessary.

Lightning gently smiled as she stood amazed at how kind he was, but it quickly faded when she remembered that Tifa was still present, waiting for a reply.

"Uhh…he's a good guy," she tried to say smoothly. Tifa already knew enough from the expressions on her face…and warmly smiled. When she went back to cleaning up, Lightning breathed out a small sigh of relief.

He's just a friend, she kept telling herself throughout the rest of the night – a good friend who she's indebted to. In this world, Lightning was bound to meet many more people, see the Planet, and venture out for the rest of her life.

Through all that, she knew she was going to be sure of one thing: Cloud was always going to be important to her, and if and when the time came to leave this world behind, Lightning was going to miss him.


	5. I'll Cover For You

**Hi, everyone! This weekend is a special treat - an extra chapter update! :D**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**I'll Cover For You**

Life in Midgar Area wasn't much, except for the stories and rumors about the notorious Shinra Company that was once stationed in the very lands. Ever since Meteor was destroyed, everyone worked to help rebuild the world…but Midgar Area was left to be a desolate wasteland. Because many people moved to different towns, Midgar Area was the most abundant in wildlife and creatures, meaning less frequent visits from travelers.

They needed some protection; they needed a faction that could help clear the way and make life peaceful…

And that was where Midgar Area Patrol came into play. Soon after the division was formed, there were fewer reports of attacks and more people venturing out on their own, enjoying the journeys without worrying about an ambush.

Jane Merchant was a Midgar native, particularly from the slums. An underdog of sorts, she was a gang leader who never backed down from a fight and always picked a bone with any Shinra infantryman she laid her eyes on. She spited Shinra since she was born; the only reason why she was never any part of resistances like AVALANCHE was because of her minority age. At the time, resistance groups had limitations for recruitment for the sake of people's futures, and Jane was only at the ripe age of 17 when the Planet's fate was close at hand. Luckily, volunteers were needed at the eve of Meteor's impact, and she was gratefully accepted in helping the evacuation process. She even got to meet Vincent Valentine and Yuffie Kisaragi; it was the latter's recommendation that earned her a spot in the newly assembled division.

She always did her part and worked very well within the team. Despite the lack of interaction, Jane owed much of her inspiration to the division leader, Lightning Farron. In her eyes, Lightning was pretty much the ideal captain for any military, except more. There was compassion and trust in her strict commands, and she was never one to get easily irritated. Even when Jane was the youngest in her squad, she was treated equally among the rest of her teammates, giving her a sense of belonging and comfort, and much of it was thanks to Lightning's efforts.

"Captain!" she exclaimed while running up to Lightning before a salute. "Reporting for duty, ma'am."

Lightning gently smiled. "Right. We're heading out to the mountains next to Kalm – a regular patrol. We're hoping we don't run into anything serious."

When Jane nodded, they headed to the outskirts of Edge, regrouping with the rest of the division. Lightning flipped the Blazefire Sabre into gun mode while everyone lined up in front of her, silent and waiting for orders.

"All right," she called out. "First squad – you're with me on field duty. Second stays here. Vic, make sure you call in when a crisis occurs."

Once everyone went off to their assignments, the first squad covered a large area as they traveled east toward Kalm. The occasional wildlife ambush was no match for them as they handled each one with organization and ease.

When Jane started remaining next to Lightning, she noticed how the captain gave out a constant cough, some more dire than others.

"Captain, are you all right?" she asked with worry.

Lightning just gave a whimsical wave of the hand as she cleared her throat. "I'm fine. Just a small cold; I haven't really been taking good care of myself recently." She admitted the last bit with a guilty smile, causing Jane to hold back a giggle.

"Don't worry," Jane replied with enthusiasm. "I'll cover for you."

Lightning saw the determination in her eyes and nodded, telling herself to do whatever she could to not dampen the young girl's efforts. "Make sure you do it well," she assured with a smile before coughing louder than usual, covering her mouth with her fist.

It wasn't long until they heard the loud rumble of a motorcycle engine, and the team noticed Cloud on his motorcycle approaching from the grasslands area. Lightning's smile instantly widened, which didn't go unnoticed by Jane. Once Cloud slowed the bike to a crawl, he stopped it just before the two women and took off his sunglasses.

"Off on patrol?" he asked while pushing out the kickstand before turning off the engine.

"Yeah. Just the usual. How was Costa del Sol?"

"All right. Sunny, packed with tourists…We should go there sometime." Cloud tacked the last bit on, and Jane could already see the big picture as her eyes widened. Keeping the wide grin on her face to herself, she turned to join the rest of her squad on the patrol; so the rumors within the team weren't just rumors, after all. She looked over her shoulder, and she saw that Lightning and Cloud easily sank into one of their regular conversations.

As the rest of the squad continued their usual patrol, the two of them rested by the foot of the mountain until Lightning spotted something on the ground. Cutting off Cloud in mid-sentence, she bent down to pick it up and rotated it in her hand. Though it was in the shape of regular materia, there was something different about it that she could not exactly describe. It didn't have the regular shine from its core, almost like the energy inside had long since faded away.

"Hey, Cloud," she called over her shoulder. "You see this kind of materia before? What does it do?"

When he turned his attention to her, she had already held the materia close to her forearm, waiting for it to dissolve into her skin for speculation. Lightning supposed that it was some unique magic, but suspicions began to rise when a black mist swirled around her arm. Cloud had seen that familiar mist before, and his heart collapsed in his chest as his eyes widened in fright.

"_Don't!_"

His warning came too late, and a strange sensation began to course through her veins. It first started in her hand and soon traveled up to the rest of her body. With every breath, her body became weaker, her skin suddenly becoming enflamed and unbearable to be in. Lightning's body was struggling against something it had no idea how to fight against, and so it decided to do everything it can to get rid of it, even if it meant putting her survival in danger.

As the air swept out of her lungs, Lightning felt her knees buckle before she came crashing to the ground. Cloud dropped to his knees and held her arm up while it writhed in the black mist surrounding it. Shoving his palm firmly against her forearm, he forced the dull materia to pop out and roll away from them like an innocent inanimate object.

Lightning desperately gasped for air, shakily observing her arm to find a strange open sore appearing in the place she absorbed the materia. Her body felt weaker than before – the cold and the strange substance oozing out of the sore didn't help her condition. It was like the debilitation had suddenly been amplified by a thousand, as if death was rapidly closing in on her.

"Lightning!"

She recognized the voice as Cloud's, but she couldn't find any breath to respond with. Her body began to convulse, sporadically jerking in unpredictable directions until firm hands propped her up to lean into his figure. One of the hands grasped onto hers, turning it around for a better view of her arm.

"This can't be…Geostigma?!" His voice was full of disbelief, coated with a layer of distress. All the while, Lightning continued to writhe uncontrollably in his arms, no longer able to take the pain.

"Cloud, what's going on?" she growled, taking ragged breaths. "What is this stuff?!" Lightning felt her senses fading in and out; at some moments, she could hear the cries of her fellow squad members as they rushed up in fear. Their frantic shouts and cries were constantly drowned out by the erratic palpitations against her eardrums.

At one point, she finally tried to pry her eyes open…but what she saw was surely impossible. At least, she thought it was.

A bright blue sky hovered above them, but hints of trees and the natural scent of plants filled her nostrils. Hovering above her was her brother-to-be, Snow – his eyes filled with terror as his lips elicited cries that weren't exactly in his voice.

"Stay with us!" Snow cried. "Hey. Don't give in!"

Throughout her short and desperate breaths, Lightning had the urge to shake her head. _'No,"_ she vehemently thought. _'It can't be…' _It finally dawned on her where she was – no longer the wastelands of Midgar Area, but Pulse.

She was home.

Even when a part of her was filled with utter joy, the pain still kept coming. Her forearm refused to ease up; it throbbed along with her heartbeats, and the sore continued oozing out. Why hadn't Snow asked about the stuff coming from her arm? Wouldn't he have been worried about what it was?

"Captain!"

Her eyes tiredly looked up ahead...and a familiar face ran up to her in despair. It was the face Lightning longed to be reunited with for so long – the one person she wanted to go back to in this world they used to call their own. She ran closer, her image becoming clearer...

But one blink made it all disappear, and it was Jane rushing up to her with wild terror masking her face. The trees and fresh air vanished; Lightning glanced upward to find Cloud instead of Snow, and for long moments, she was breathless.

When her chest stopped heaving, Cloud began to panic, his grip on her suddenly tightening. "Hey, come on! Stay with us!" he repeated.

Her response was eyes widening in shock. Trying to snap back to reality, Lightning did as he urged and took deep breaths, but it was different. The high concentration of pain no longer lingered in her arm; it pulsed through and rested within her chest, taunting her with every breath.

Jane cried out, and it was hard for Lightning to determine if she was near or far. "What happened?!"

"Is this materia?"

"Don't touch it!" she heard Cloud roar as he stiffened. "It's tainted with Geostigma." As frightful murmurs and gasps erupted in the many figures surrounding him and Lightning, he scooped her up into his arms with some difficulty. She did her best to hang on tightly, but the pain challenged her to keep up her strength. "Call Reeve and tell him to send a team to deal with it. I need to bring Lightning to the church _now_!"

They all acted fast in the situation forced upon them. Cloud hurried to his motorcycle while the squad remained stationed around the dangerous little orb in the middle of the field; Jane shakily pulled out a communicator and called the headquarters in a frantic voice. As Cloud mounted Fenrir, he placed Lightning between himself and the handles, setting her down in the most comfortable position possible.

"Whatever happens, don't let go," he pleaded. "Just hang on."

Once the bike was in motion, Lightning weakly hung from his neck, digging her nails into his backside to keep herself from falling off. It was like her body was trying to rip open from the inside; aside from her hand, there was only one other part that was the most irritable. Though her eyes were closed shut, trying to stop the tears of agony from spilling out, images flashed continuously behind her lids. Similar to a Focus, everything was incoherent and jumbled up.

She could hear the dying screams of women and children. She could feel an intense fire crawling close to her skin, threatening to melt it off regardless of the sweat she poured out. Blood splattered everywhere within the unknown void behind her closed eyelids and even the stench was somehow present in her nostrils. Through all this, she was still aware that she was somehow riding on Fenrir with Cloud…but maybe the ride was just a dream, and the terror was reality.

This was far different from her brief sight of her old home, and it had no hint of pleasantries. It filled her to the brim with terror, and the feeling of her arms tightly wrapped around Cloud was the only indication that it wasn't _entirely_ real.

"_**Mother…"**_

A man with long silver hair looked up menacingly from his long locks, blazing fires consuming everything around him. The shade of his green eyes frightened Lightning to no end, but for some reason, she couldn't look away. No other image appeared in her head, and she couldn't erase the cold hard expression that seemed to be aimed at her. Struck with fear, her breath got caught in her throat; it felt like her collar kept on tightening, choking the life out of her. Glancing down, her eyes felt like widening at the sight of the long blade, which looked like it could skewer ten people at once.

As her agitated groans grew louder, Cloud gripped the clutch as tight as possible; dirt and rocks flung around behind him as he sped straight toward Midgar. He felt his focus wavering, for he wanted to give her comfort and assistance right away, yet the only way he knew of helping her was to bring her to the church…back to where it all began.

* * *

When she finally came to, the first thing she noticed were deep orange rays peering through a familiar rooftop. Lightning found that her body was relaxed, a steady heartbeat pulsing within her chest. The calm sound of water splashing was right beside her, and she turned her head to see the small pond that she fell into for her first Planet experience. At first, she wanted to remain in her current position, composed and calm…but a wave of images washed through her head, bringing a degree of fear back into her heart.

Lightning slowly sat up, leaning back on her hands as she took in her surroundings. Down the center aisle, Cloud sat leaned against one of the pews, his eyes glazed over and staring into empty space. One of his legs was bent and propped up, used to support his arm, while the other was stretched out in front of him. His head hung low from his neck, but no part of him appeared fatigued.

"Cloud…" She got up to her feet and quietly walked over to him, but it struck her as odd when he didn't respond in the slightest. Falling to one knee, she dipped her head low to observe his expression full of pain and darkness, causing her eyebrows to worriedly knit together. Her hand reached out and gently fell on the hand of his propped arm, somewhat snapping him out of his reverie. "Hey," she murmured.

With some effort, he turned his face away from her, unable to dump the shame on her. "You're feeling better?" he tried to ask in his casual voice.

"Yeah…that materia really did a number on me." She nervously laughed along with her words to ease the tension stifling the atmosphere between the two of them. However, Cloud refused to face her – something she failed to notice as the unbearable sensations came back to haunt her memory. "I'm sorry I got into some trouble back there," she said apologetically. "Honestly didn't know what to expect. The materia had something about it…"

"It's called Geostigma," Cloud interceded. "For the past two years, the disease had infected many people all over the Planet, particularly children. Weaker immune systems, y'know?"

Lightning quietly gasped as she remembered her cold from earlier; no doubt it helped in the debilitation of her body. As Cloud got up to his feet, she watched him walk over toward the water, his steps slow and, for some reason, despondent.

"An alien matter called Jenova dissolved into the Lifestream. Two years ago, the Lifestream shielded the Planet from a great danger…but exposure to the Lifestream and Jenova infected people everywhere." His hand crept upon his left arm, remembering the great pain he suffered long ago. "A few months back, we cured everyone with the water here in the church…but I never thought the infected Lifestream would condense to create a materia."

Thinking back, she couldn't remember many times where she felt that much pain. "It was like…it was draining my body of energy."

"That's how Jenova worked," Cloud explained. "It traveled through space, finding some type of life force to feed off from, like a parasite. It never stopped until everything was dead." When he reached the edge of the pond, he sat back down cross-legged as he faced the water, dipping his head past his shoulders once again. "It used to be common to meet someone with the stigma. People usually avoided them throughout the day, did nothing to help them…watched them drop dead on the streets."

She turned her arm for the palm to face upward; Lightning rubbed her hand across her forearm, sighing with relief when there was no trace of the sore. Looking back at the water, she was grateful that it didn't dry up or disappear.

"What you found…must have been made some time when Geostigma was starting to spread. A tainted strain of the Lifestream must have condensed, becoming that thing." His voice was so quiet, and she almost failed to catch his words. "I panicked when I found you…A materia with a stigma strain for that long…Who knew how long you would have had if I didn't get you here."

It was clear in his voice how shaken the circumstances have made him. Back then, this disease had become a large threat to the population. Many people died or went missing, leaving behind family and loved ones…

Could it have really pained him if Lightning's condition wasn't cured in time? Did he really cherish her life that much?

She watched him for a few silent minutes, waiting to see if any more words would come out…but words couldn't describe the turmoil inside him. There was something much darker about Geostigma that affected Cloud greatly – so much so that it's left him alone and afraid for so long. He may have been able to overcome the obstacles and conquer his fear, but the scars never faded away. All of his battles and struggles must have led him to some point – an accomplishment that was worth fighting for, that was worth all the scars and hardships.

"I'm alive now, aren't I?"

Cloud lifted his head slightly as her words weren't full of the despair he was expecting. He heard Lightning get up from her spot and join his side by the pool of water, and he looked at her curiously.

"Worrying about the dangers and troubles won't do any good," she explained. "What matters is how you act to fix things. You saved me from the stigma, Cloud…and you practically saved my life twice, now."

It was natural to be filled with worry and despair; fear was just a part of being human. However, that fear wasn't meant to destroy people forever. It was a challenge – one that once was conquered would make a person stronger than before.

She turned to him with grateful eyes, looking upon him with earnest respect. "Thank you. You know, it's amazing how you don't give up on me."

All Cloud could do was nod and look away, wondering if his expressions would rat him out. If Lightning had succumbed to the Geostigma, it was unsure of how affected he would be. All that was racing through his mind just hours ago was to make her safe…because he sure as hell didn't want her to go away. Not without a fight.


	6. No Regrets

**No Regrets**

"Oh, wow!"

Marlene and Denzel pressed their faces against the window of the cable car to get a better view. As they approached the Gold Saucer, flashing lights became brighter, and the music that would never leave their heads for days began to hum loudly.

Tifa smiled at their fascination. "This is your first time here, right, guys?"

The kids turned around for the shortest second to nod. "Daddy says it's really fun," Marlene replied with excitement.

Tifa looked over at Cloud and smiled. "Haven't been here for two years." Receiving a nod in response, she then looked across the cable car over to Lightning, who also peered out from her side to see the spotlights waving across the skies. It reminded her of Nautilus, the city of dreams – a place where people could retreat to ease up in any l'Cie panic. However, this amusement park was different; no one needed sanctuary or reprieve from the horrors of the real world. The place served as any augmentation of fun, for there wasn't much left on the Planet to fear.

Peering out of the corner of her eye, Tifa noticed Cloud watching Lightning from behind, a wary look washing over his visage. For the past couple of weeks, she would occasionally find him in similar situations, and it made her fear at what exactly happened in the outskirts of Edge. When Cloud and Lightning returned home that day, she got the general gist of the events that transpired, but there was something Lightning was keeping to herself.

Something that was slowly eating her away inside.

Once the cable car stopped, the five of them headed toward the entrance; Lightning turned her head back and forth, taking in the sights. Cloud pulled out his gil pouch to pay for the tickets, prompting Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel to recite a "thank you" in unison, and Lightning smiled at the cute gesture. Together, they ended up in the station, where numerous tunnels led to different sections of the park. Marlene and Denzel jumped excitedly as they observed the directory map.

"I wanna try the Wonder Square!" Denzel exclaimed after reading about the particular arcade sector. Before any of the adults could say anything, Marlene and Denzel headed toward the designated tunnel, anxious to play.

"I have a feeling they'll be at it all night," Lightning said with a shake of the head.

Tifa was the first to start after them. "I'll see you guys at the inn later," she called over her shoulder along with a wave of her hand. She gave a gentle smile to Lightning, and the hesitant response was enough to confirm her suspicions. "Have fun!"

After sighing, Lightning turned to Cloud, who worked to hold in a chuckle. Trying to stop herself from doing the same, she walked up to him. "So, where to?"

He pulled out his pouch of gil, only to toss it in the air before catching it with a swipe of his hand. "I don't know about you, but I'm going ahead to the Chocobo Square and win big in the races."

She appeared intrigued. "You race chocobos here?"

"Yeah. People place bets on who's gonna win." He gave her a little smirk as her pale blue eyes lit up with wonder. "Wanna check it out?"

Once she gave a nod of approval, Cloud led her down the tunnel, following some more enthusiastic people toward the race track. They eventually reached the reception desk, where the chocobo jockeys were registering. From a corner of the room, an oddly dressed woman approached them with a beaming smile.

"Well, if it isn't Cloud! I'd remember any talented racer anywhere!"

Cloud's expression lit up as he recollected the familiar face. "Ester, it's been a while."

Giggling to herself, her eyes traveled to his female companion before she grinned coyly. "My, my. Bringing your girlfriend to see the races?"

At that, Lightning and Cloud appeared flustered; her cheeks turned a deeper pink than her hair as she turned away while he nervously waved his hands in front of himself.

"No," Cloud interjected quite anxiously. "Just a friend. I'm showing her around the place, since it's her first time here." Looking out of the corner of his eye, he caught Lightning turned back to him, which prompted him to quickly avert his eyes to another direction. A part of him just finally realized how fast his chest was beating, making his skin feel a lot warmer than usual.

"Excellent!" Ester chimed anyway. "Go and place your bets, now!"

When they walked over to the main desk, a large screen hovered above them, displaying the contestants for the next race. Lightning's eyebrows furrowed at not only the many different statistics for each chocobo, but at the rare colors their feathers had. While some had the traditional yellow, there were others that were green, blue, and even black.

Cloud only had to take one quick glance at the screen before placing his bet. Once he came back with a ticket, Lightning looked at him with interest. "You're pretty confident," she mused as she looked between him and the board.

"All you gotta do is look at the color," he explained. "The colors of their feathers basically tell you their capabilities. Yellow is common, so it's not gonna be standing out that much against these other contenders. On the other hand, black chocobos are the second to best breed out there."

Lightning nodded with understanding. Together, they found decent benches that overlooked the span of the racetrack, though there were thousands of other spectators eager to watch the same race. By the time the race started, everyone all around Cloud and Lightning cheered and waved, reducing the original space given to them. As soon as the chocobos were a third of the way finished, Lightning was forced to maneuver around the flailing limbs, leaning in closer to Cloud, who allowed his arm to cross her backside for support. It was only when her head bumped into his shoulder did they notice their close proximity; their faces instantly turned toward each other, hearing the gasps of surprise when they finally realized it. The heat from before returned as hotter than ever, and it felt like their collars were somehow tightening on their own.

From this distance, Cloud saw how appealing Lightning's heart-shaped face was, which seemed to perfectly hold her facial structures just right. Likewise, she seemed to lose herself in his deep blue eyes, and they looked like they were actually glowing to become a prominent trait on his visage.

A large unanimous cheer from the audience snapped them out of their reveries, causing the both of them to turn away from each other. Neither of them said a word, doing whatever it took to focus on the race, where the black chocobo inevitably won, just like Cloud had betted. Even when they went back to the lobby to claim their prize, he and Lightning barely exchanged words.

"Congratulations!" The receptionist said after Cloud gave her his betting ticket, catching the both of them at a surprise. "Not only did you win in your bets, but you also scored two free passes on the gondolas!"

Lightning blinked a few times to get all this registered into her head. "Gondolas…?"

"Another attraction here at the Gold Saucer," Cloud explained, receiving the tickets from the receptionist. As he observed them in his hand, he realized how the situation would change once they boarded the gondola…and a gulp struggled to make its way down his throat.

Looking over his shoulder, Lightning smiled at the sight of the tickets. "Maybe Denzel and Marlene might like it."

Cloud chuckled, thinking otherwise. "Believe me, those two will want to stay in Wonder Square until the very last second," he replied, emphasizing the last part. After Lightning laughed along, he mustered up the courage to ask the question plaguing his mind, turning to face her. "…You wanna go?"

After giving it short thought, she nodded. "Okay."

Side by side, they headed to the Round Square, where a single gondola was luckily waiting for their arrival.

"Welcome," the conductor greeted. Cloud wordlessly gave him the tickets as Lightning followed closely behind. "All right, then. In you go!"

Once they slid in to opposite sides, the conductor closed the door behind them, and the gondola was in motion. It was dead silence for the first few moments, but when they hovered over most of the Gold Saucer, Lightning couldn't help but marvel at the spectacular lights that illuminated her smiling face. Cloud observed her expressions closely and gently smirked.

"It's like a kid opening up a present," he compared. Lightning blushed softly as she looked down at her feet.

"I lived far from the theme park on Cocoon. My family and I were never able to go," she admitted. "But Serah and I always imagined that we would. Nautilus – the city of dreams…"

"What, your boyfriend didn't think about taking you there?" he jokingly asked.

"Never had one," she replied honestly. The smile instantly faded, her eyes glazing over as a dark thought flooded her mind. As she backed away from the open window, sinking into the darkness, her gaze drifted into oblivion while the surrounding face went frighteningly pale.

Cloud blinked a few times in surprise. It was like a switch had gone off and all life was drained away from her. He decided to try and continue the conversation, hoping she would show some vibrancy again. "You're serious?"

With an innocent shrug, Lightning nodded. "I had no time – my mother died when I was fifteen, and my sister needed someone to be there for her…So, I gave it all up, and became who I am now."

"And your father?"

"When I was younger, he passed away…it's actually one of the earliest memories I can think of." She ended with an emotionless chuckle of disbelief. "If that memory was even real..."

He froze at her words, for something finally clicked in his head. For the past couple of weeks, Lightning had been feeling distant, her mind lost in turmoil. There was only one thing that could have led her to be so despondent.

Carefully, Cloud leaned forward, and when bright lights flashed by their gondola, he saw the gleaming tears coating her eyes. His chest tightened at the sight.

"What happened?" he asked gently. She slightly flinched at the sound of his voice. "Did the stigma...Did you see something? Hear anything?"

Her lips curled upward into the saddest of smiles before she glanced downward, tearing away from his gaze. When she first tried to move her lips and form words, it was hard to find anything to say; hearing it aloud would very likely break her down even further.

"It was only for a moment," she replied in a bare whisper. The tone frightened Cloud to no end. "But...I saw them. Serah and Snow found me on Pulse - they hurried up to me, wondering if I was okay."

Cloud figured it was just a long memory she had in her world...but her face twisted into a painful grimace. Her hands shook on her lap, the nails digging into her hands to draw blood.

"Why was it only when I had the stigma?" Her eyes, frantic and wild, looked up at Cloud, who briefly flinched back with surprise. "It came from the Lifestream, right?"

When he hesitantly nodded, Lightning's face became unbearable to watch. "Just like mako..." Her words were finally making sense; Cloud saw where her train of thought was going, and he was one moment too late from trying to soothe her troubled mind.

"Maybe it _was_ all just mako addiction," she whispered with a painful chuckle. "Cocoon, Pulse, Serah...what if none of it was real? What if Tifa was wrong?"

With every second, he just sat there before her, watching her resolve crumble into nothing. It could have been easier to accept that her world - her old life that she cherished - was still somewhere out there. Her sister could have been living contently, safe from harm. Thinking that her whole life was a lie was something he could relate to...

As well as the pain that came with the realization.

Leaning forward, Cloud caught her gaze with fierce eyes. "It's real," he told her so matter-of-factly, it was difficult to dispute. No matter what it took, he wanted her to let go of that destructive fear and doubt - so that she wouldn't think she was just a puppet to mako hallucinations. "_Your sister_ is real. You just gotta keep believing that, all right?"

"You can't be sure," she whispered while shaking her head.

"Mako can play tricks on your mind. Never forget that." He grimaced before leaning back, his gaze shifting to peer over the Gold Saucer's attractions. The distant look in his eyes intrigued Lightning, and she wondered how deep the scars of his past ran. "I've been to the darkest places you can imagine under mako addiction. I can tell the difference between hallucinations and truth. That day...mako was just digging into your mind, making you see what you wanted to see."

Even with his expertise on how mako worked, Lightning still wasn't wholly convinced that her life wasn't a lie. "I wanna let it all go...but I don't wanna pass it off as fabricated. I know...it was all real."

"So do I," he replied with assurance. When his eyes reconnected with hers, they held such strong determination that she couldn't deny. "Listen, if you ever doubt yourself, come find me. I'll help you, no matter what."

And with that, she no longer felt lost and alone. Had she kept it to herself for another day, Lightning would have surely broken into millions of pieces, shattered by the "realization" that she probably never knew her real family, that her whole persona was created with no free will at all. "Thank you," she whispered with a grateful smile. Tears still ran down her cheeks, however, and she chuckled while wiping them away. "You sure know how to make a girl feel better. I'm sure any old girlfriends would have regretted leaving you behind."

For some reason, it was strange to admit something of this subject to her. Cloud should have expected it, since he was the one to bring it up. Just looking at her, he could remember the first time he rode the gondola years ago…and thinking about it twisted his chest.

"…There was one girl," he said almost quietly. "But it wasn't like it was official. She died two years ago, before I got the chance to know her more." Cloud fought back the strong urges of regret and guilt. As he brought his right hand around him, Lightning noticed how his fingers delicately played with the red ribbon tied around his upper arm. "Even so, after death, she helped me and the others through our toughest fights."

While he looked out into the distance, Lightning could see how this woman he spoke about influenced him strongly. There was something about her that changed Cloud for the better, but seeing her disappear from his life still didn't make him certain if it was worth the sacrifice. Lightning couldn't explain the slight twinge of jealousy against the woman, seeing as how she had such a tight grip on a piece of Cloud's heart, while at the same time, she wanted to somehow meet her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at her feet. Noticing how the conversation was making her feel down, Cloud lightly exhaled and nodded to himself.

"I just have regrets on things we didn't get to do," he explained in a lighter tone. He reflected on what he just said, observing Lightning as a sort of glow enveloped her; Cloud couldn't tell if it was just in his head or if it was due to the park's scenery. As their gondola approached the docking station, he got up to his feet. "Come on."

To get her out of her stump, he grabbed hold of Lightning's hand and dragged her out of the gondola. Cloud didn't say a word as they headed to the Ghost Square, where the eerie inn was located. After they checked in for overnight rooms, Cloud walked over to the item shop across the hall. Lightning followed behind, wondering just what he was doing without giving any kind of explanation.

He seemed to know exactly where he was going: the main glass counter where lots of trinkets were on display. After some searching, he finally found what he wanted and asked the clerk for the price. Lightning was passing through the souvenirs section when Cloud returned, taking something out of the small box in his palm.

"Sweep your hair back," he told her. With furrowed brows, she hesitantly did as instructed, allowing him to approach more closely and place something close to her ear. "You've had a piercing before. That helps."

A small blush ran across her cheeks, her eyes looking to her left as Cloud still fiddled with her earlobe. "A fellow officer gave me a gift not too long ago, but it didn't suit me," she explained sheepishly.

"Well, I guess it's good you didn't wear it, or else there wouldn't be room for this one." When he finished, Cloud stepped back, and Lightning felt a little weight on her right ear before letting her hair fall. He saw her stunned expression and motioned her to look at the mirror by the wall. Taking steady steps, she faced her reflection that bore the same curious look on her face. There was a silver gleam on the right side of her face – an earring with the same wolf emblem on Cloud's pauldron.

Lightning stood dazed at the gesture. In her head, it took a while to put pieces together, trying to make logical thoughts amid the emotions swirling inside of her. Turning around, she looked at Cloud with a blank expression, and he nodded after giving her a once-over.

"No regrets," he reminded her, and then it made sense to her. It was something he wanted to do – something he was sure he wasn't going to feel guilt over. Like the woman he cherished two years ago, Cloud wanted to make memories with Lightning before he lost the chance. Lightning felt her skin burn all over her body, and no matter how much she wanted to tear her eyes away from Cloud, she couldn't.

Ever since that day he showed her mako, a strange pang infrequently appeared in her chest. It was unfamiliar to her, but it was somewhere close to what she felt whenever she thought of Serah. There would be times she glimpsed into the imminent future, and most of them involved her working side by side with Cloud. No matter what, Lightning had a feeling he was always going to be there for her…but not exactly in the way she wanted. She was happy with how things were going for her in Edge, at the bar with Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene...

And yet there was a hidden craving for more – something more than the sense of family she got just by being with them.

Glancing into his eyes turned out to be difficult, even when he looked over to the nearby clock. "It's getting late. You can go ahead and turn in; I'm gonna look for the others and tell them to call it a night."

When she lifelessly nodded, Cloud took it as a cue to start his search. As he briskly left the inn, Lightning's eyes darted around; now that he was gone, her mind was able to think straight. _'What…?'_

A surge in her chest reminded her that the pang was still there. In quick strides, she shot up the staircase to the assigned single rooms. She chose the closest one, slamming the door shut the moment she was completely inside. Leaned against the door, Lightning shakily slid to the floor, one hand holding the attached earring while the other clutched her chest.

The only other time she felt pain in that place before was when her l'Cie brand scorched her skin. But now that her fate was no longer sealed, there was no reason for her to be aggravated in that spot…

It wasn't aggravation she harbored. It was something entirely different – a warm feeling that she wanted to embrace, yet feared for the outcome. _'It's not that,'_ she tried to convince herself. _'I can't be—'_

Images of Cloud began to barrage her mind. No one else had been able to penetrate her emotional defenses so deeply in her life; she made sure to steel herself from such trivial feelings in order to be capable of protecting Serah. Just because she no longer had to worry about her sister's future, it didn't mean she had to lose her edge.

Thinking about him brought warmth and peace to her heart and mind, but when she couldn't figure out exactly what that feeling was, her head felt even heavier. All she knew was that Cloud understood her on such a level that she didn't think anyone was capable of, especially in such short time. He had opened his heart up to her, and Lightning wanted to keep it safe after everything it had gone through.

But did she have the right to? If she really wanted to be there for him in such a way, did Cloud feel the same?

'_What should I do…?'_


	7. Sorry for the Delayed Rescue

**I just wanna thank everyone for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts thus far! At least I know I'm taking this fic in a good direction ^_^**

* * *

**Sorry For the Delayed Rescue**

Once everything was loaded, Lightning closed the door of the trunk, turning back to Tifa and her usual supplier.

"Thanks again, Daniel," Tifa said as she handed a rather large pouch of gil to an elderly man.

"Of course. Wouldn't want such a great bar to go out of business, right?" The man chuckled. In fact, he already expected Tifa to show up with her regular demands. Ever since Meteorfall, Daniel had been 7th Heaven's supplier, since he was a good friend of the founder back in Midgar.

Lightning observed the town of Kalm with interest. Everything seemed to be more lively compared to Edge, probably due to its natural founding, whereas Edge was built from Midgar scraps in an attempt to make a new home. She was sort of grateful Tifa needed help picking up supplies, thinking of it as a sort of day off to go sightseeing.

As they entered the truck, with Tifa at the wheel and Lightning in the passenger's side, they headed back home to Edge. Along the way, Lightning pulled out a folder filled with loose papers and opened it across her lap, surveying them with a concerned look on her face.

"What are all those?" Tifa inquired.

"Missing person reports. Reeve sent them to me from the Junon area…It's a pretty big list."

In response, Tifa pursed her lips with worry. "You think it's related to the missing people from Wutai…?"

Lightning sighed, propping her elbow next to the window to help her arm support her head. "Can't say for sure," she replied with an equal level of distress. It wasn't in her district, so she shouldn't be too involved, but it was in her nature to consider such a mysterious level of danger. If anything happened to the citizens in Edge or Kalm, she had to be sure she was up to speed in order to formulate a plan.

Speaking of Wutai, she remembered a small detail that made her turn away from Tifa. "Has Cloud said anything…after staying in Rocket Town?"

"No, he couldn't find a trace or lead. The only thing he noticed was that it was a random sample – mostly adults and a bunch of kids taken here and there. Doesn't help narrow things down. He even asked…" The expression on her face changed. "Huh."

Lightning looked back at her. "What is it?"

"I just remembered that Vincent doesn't stay in Nibelheim anymore. He used to, but now he's in Kalm back there."

The name brought up mysterious feelings inside, as Lightning remembered the look in Vincent's eyes the first day they met. Though she felt awkward for wanting to ask, she had to know.

"Hey, Tifa…What's Vincent's story, anyway?" She carefully glanced into her friend's direction, making sure she wasn't prying into others' privacy.

Tifa thought for a moment, diving into the past within her mind. "Well, we met him two years ago in Nibelheim, where Cloud and I are from. He was left there after being experimented on by an old Shinra scientist."

"What kind of experiments?"

Before she went any further, Tifa appeared hesitant. "Strengthening endurance, metamorphosis…"

Lightning's jaw lightly hung at the word. "You mean like a shapeshifter…?"

"Yeah…But he sees himself as a monster. You know, he may seem indifferent to everything around him, but I'm pretty sure it's just him keeping the painful memories bottled up inside."

The more Lightning heard about him, the more she became intrigued in Vincent Valentine. A familiar man who had the ability to transform into other things…she was sure that he was more than just an ally, like Barret and the others.

As Tifa glanced at the side mirrors of the truck, she noticed the small glimmer at the side of Lightning's face in the reflection. Peering closer, it made itself out to be a Fenrir earring identical to the one Cloud wore on his opposite ear. Her eyes widened in surprise and delight while she fought back a wide grin.

For a while, she had been surveying Lightning and Cloud's interactions, already having a clue as to how things were going to turn out. Tifa even relayed her speculations to Marlene and Denzel, who seemed to agree. As weird as it was for her to admit, the two of them were compatible with each other. She knew Cloud would probably never see Tifa as more than a close friend, and she was okay with it, but her close friendships with him and Lightning didn't allow her to just sit by and watch them develop at such a slow pace.

* * *

Thanks to a mysterious benefactor, the WRO garnered enough funds to expand in the Nibel Area, and hopefully real civilians could reside in the town of Nibelheim. However, the town has its own share of dangers and misfortunes. The downfall of Shinra Company meant that the mako reactor on Mt. Nibel was useless, and the town was basically on the same level of prosperity as Edge.

It was natural to assume that no one would dare volunteer to be part of the tentative Nibel Area Patrol. Stories of the old reactor and dilapidated Shinra Mansion were enough to drive any non-natives away. To assure that the land would be free of superstition, Reeve brought it upon Lightning to survey the area, hopefully easing the people's anxieties.

However, even this proposal made some people more fearful.

"You can't be serious," Cloud said as he watched Lightning fill up a duffel bag in her room. In response, she innocently shrugged.

"It's just a survey of the land – shouldn't be too hard."

His eye twitched with irritation, for a part of him couldn't believe that Reeve would make her go to _that_ place. Even if she was just going for inspection, it meant that she would have to trek through Mt. Nibel, which was known as a risky venture.

"And you said yes because…?"

Lightning cocked an eyebrow at him as she packed in the last of her wardrobe. "Well, why wouldn't I?"

Cloud exhaled sharply. "Nibelheim isn't exactly the safest place on the Planet. Take it from some natives."

With a smirk, she chuckled. "Well, if you're still alive after living there, then I should be able to survive just a few nights."

Her humor didn't ease his nerves. After hearing the news from Tifa, Cloud practically trudged toward Lightning's room, thinking of as many reasons to stop her as possible…but he should have remembered how hard it was to make Lightning think twice.

As he grimaced, Tifa appeared from behind, peering in. "Hey, Light. Need anything else before Reeve gets here?"

"I got everything, Tifa. Thanks." After zipping up her duffel, Lightning noticed the sulky expression on Cloud and grimaced with a sigh. "It's just a few days, Cloud."

Looking around him, Tifa saw his face too, her lips tugging upward at the corner. "If you're gonna be so worried, why don't you go along?"

He blinked a couple of times, evasive as ever. "I'm not worried," he muttered as he turned to go back to the hallway. Tifa smirked to Lightning, who scratched her head with confusion. In all honesty, Lightning didn't feel at all wary when Reeve had asked her to accomplish the task. She knew no one else was willing to go through with it, but she assumed it was because of the relative dangers that she felt confident of overcoming. It was certain Cloud was aware of her capabilities…so it was a stump as to why he would voice his negative opinion so emphatically.

Reeve was going to arrive any minute, and Tifa walked Lightning down to the bar. Taking the opportunity, Lightning asked the barmaid about the seemingly taboo town, and she was first met with a forlorn face.

"Our hometown was the site of a tragedy," Tifa explained. "Years ago, the Shinra Company sent a group to investigate a broken mako reactor in Nibelheim." One in the group, an elite SOLDIER named Sephiroth, went on a rampage, killing most of the people, including their parents. Everything burned to the ground, but within a few years it was all rebuilt, company employees dispatched there to cover up the incident from the rest of the Planet.

Throughout the story, Lightning's emotions ranged from curiosity to remorse. "Oh my god," she muttered at the end.

"But please – don't feel sorry. We've already put it all behind us. Besides, the reason why Cloud doesn't want you to go is because Mt. Nibel has a reputation of being a little rickety and dangerous. I fell off a bridge and hurt myself when I was younger, and Cloud got blamed just because he was with me."

It barely made her any less worried; slowly but surely, doubt and paranoia crept upon Lightning. At that moment, the front door swung open, and Reeve walked in with a pleasant smile.

"Good morning," he greeted. "You ready, Lightning?"

Glancing back to Tifa, who nodded to ensure confidence, Lightning took a deep breath. "Guess so."

Just when the two of them started to head back out, Cloud came down the stairs, a duffel bag hanging from his shoulder.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked incredulously.

"I'm coming with," he said bluntly to Reeve and Lightning. "The mountain's difficult to navigate through, and you're gonna need a guide."

Reeve readily accepted his help, but the two women looked at him with fascination. Neither of them expected him to go out of his way so many times for one person, even when that person never asked for it. Without warning, a familiar yet unexplainable feeling arose in Lightning's chest, tempting her to look away in order to hide a blush.

'_What the…?'_ Her eyebrows furrowed together as she took a deep breath to steady her racing heart. Just thinking that she and Cloud were going to go together made her happy inside, though it was illogical.

Nevertheless, nothing could be said against the new addition to the trip, and the three of them headed to the chopper in the outskirts of town. Though they were subtle, Lightning noticed gestures she had never expected him to perform: holding his hand out to help her into the chopper, sitting next to her with little space between them, and even helping her down the chopper when they hovered just outside Nibelheim. After he and Reeve descended to the ground, Lightning expected to do exactly the same, but when she jumped, Cloud had caught her just at her hips. Her hands grabbed on to his shoulders, relieving some weight that he didn't have to necessarily bear. Cloud slowly lowered his arms, his eyes deeply locked with hers as her feet touched the ground.

"Thanks," she breathed out, sliding her hands down his chest. Cloud cleared his throat and dropped his hands.

"It's nothing."

Joining up with Reeve, they looked over the abandoned town of Nibelheim. The streets were unkempt; the stores were slowly deteriorating with lack of maintenance. As dust blew in the mountain winds, it was clear no one had really ventured through since the fall of the Shinra Company.

"You really think people will want to come back here?" Cloud asked Reeve in a doubtful tone.

"It's worth a shot. There are other survivors beside you and Tifa; they might want to return to a safer home."

Cloud sighed, for the idea seemed hopeless. The three of them entered the town's vicinity, their heads turning back and forth from observing the condition it was left in. Soon enough, Cloud caught sight of his old home, blackened and charred from the devastating flames seven years ago. As if he was thrown back in time, he could feel the heat suffocating him, the hairs on his back prickling with fright, and images of his mother forced him to close his eyes shut.

"Cloud?"

A gentle hand was placed on his arm, snapping him back to reality despite the cold sweat running down his forehead. Opening his eyes, he looked beside him to find Lightning's eyes filled with concern. Just a dream, he told himself as a deep breath swept through his lungs. It was all in the past, and he was just grateful that he survived the horror.

With a nod, Cloud took her hand into his own and held it gently. "I'm fine," he assured before dropping their hands. Lightning pursed her lips, unsure of accepting his morale, but decided to go along with it.

Passing through the town, they saw no reason for people to not return. So long as the reactor remained shut down, no one should really fear further degradation of the lands, and life would pick up to as it once was. The bridge that Lightning assumed Tifa was talking about didn't seem to appear treacherous as she described; perhaps the dilapidation didn't reach this far. Approaching Mt. Nibel, Reeve noticed vicious storm clouds approaching at a relatively fast pace. The best course of action was to go back over the bridge to the town and possibly fly over to Rocket Town for a night.

"Maybe we can just come back once the storm passes," he suggested as Lightning and Cloud came up behind him. "It would be reckless to trek through the mountain in this."

They turned back around and headed back to Nibelheim, but a strange feeling crept up on Lightning as she stopped at the back of the group. Looking over her shoulder, not only did she see the storm clouds nearing at a quick pace…but she also glimpsed swift movement within the crevices and entrances of the mountain. She was sure it wasn't just her imagination, and possibilities ran through her head – a lost civilian, an enemy seeking to ambush…

Lightning couldn't just let it go. Pulling out her gunblade, she turned around and held it in gun mode, her eyes scouring the large scale of the mountain. The clouds now released ominous bellows; she had to make a decision fast. Rocket Town was just on the other side of the mountains – she could just trek through and meet up with Cloud and Reeve there.

Refusing to waste time, she sprinted back across the bridge, her movements alerting Reeve and Cloud of her plans as they spun around.

"What is she-?!" Reeve watched in fear as she went back.

"Lightning!" Before Cloud started off after her, he looked up and saw the storm already looming over their heads. Bolts of real lightning came crashing down, the winds thrashed all around, and stinging water was soon to come and drench them all. Gritting his teeth, he took off, pulling out his main blade from its holster.

There was less movement seen as she got closer to the mountain, but that didn't stop her. Instead, a great gust of wind made the bridge teeter, causing Lightning to lose her balance as she lightly stumbled. It was enough of a distraction for Cloud to catch up and grab her arm to spin her around.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted over the wind.

"I saw someone back there! I gotta go make sure—"

An ear-splitting crack shot down next to them, and before they knew it, the bridge lopped over to one side, throwing them off balance. A few more sounds came close, boring holes into the planks of the bridge. Cloud's feet were the first to go flying off, but Lightning made sure to grab a tight hold onto his wrist before she followed along with him. For the shortest time, they were floating in midair, with Cloud looking above as Lightning sailed over. She knew that she was the one who had to save the both of them, or else they would plummet into the dark chasm below. Desperately reaching out, she felt the intact line of rope still supporting the bridge, and she grabbed a hold onto it. The Blazefire Sabre twirled in the air before falling out of their reach. Lightning struggled to pull Cloud and herself up, looping her arm around the line to make sure she didn't slip.

When another crack was heard, the line that she held onto immediately unraveled, and the two of them dropped farther into the chasm before the roped twisted uncontrollably around Lightning's arm. It tugged on her joint just as it stopped unraveling, creating a new sound that made her scream out in agony. Pain surged through the arm that was caught in the rope, and the weight that Cloud added made it worse.

In the far-off distance, they could faintly hear Reeve's voice calling out to them, but it was drowned out by the thunder bellows and familiar sound of gunshots. Cloud saw the pain clear across Lightning's face, and it tugged viciously at his heart that he could do nothing in his position.

"Hang on, Cloud," she managed to get out in a squirming voice, but it was futile. The rope on her arm somehow came loose with another loud crack, leaving them to fall into darkness. Acting fast, Cloud pulled her close into his chest, wrapping his arm around her as they disappeared from sight. Reeve was left to watch them fall before he had to retreat from the dangerous weather, and he prayed that they somehow survived.

* * *

"_**Fool! Our orders were not to kill her!"**_

"_**But sir. The stigma already—"**_

"_**The boss already knows that! He still wants her alive, though. The storm is blocking our access to the bottom of the gorge. Let's fall back."**_

* * *

The first thing she noticed was the constant raindrops splashing into puddles around her. As some of them fell onto her face, Lightning tiredly opened her eyes, taking time to adjust to the dim lighting. Gray clouds obscured the small glimpse of the sky, and the rain eventually made its way to her body and clothes.

Her eyes observed the smooth scaling of the mountain, which would make it difficult to find a way back up. It was amazing that she missed bashing her skull into the rocks…In fact, it was a miracle that Lightning's injuries weren't as disastrous as she thought they should be.

She turned her head to the right …and her eyes widened in horror.

On the other side of a boulder, Cloud laid unconscious on his front side, blood trickling down the right side of his face. From the looks of his movements, his breathing appeared to be uneven, and the water drew too close to suffocate him.

"Cloud!"

Acting fast, she worked to turn herself over and push up to get on her feet…but once she applied pressure to her right arm, an unbearable spasm shot through her limb, forcing her to fall to her knees. Her left hand flew to her opposite shoulder as she hissed in pain; her teeth gritted together to hold back a growl.

"Dammit," Lightning cursed as she remembered what happened – after the rope from the bridge twisted around her arm, it must have tugged so violently that it popped her shoulder out of its socket. It's been a while since she had this much injury, but she couldn't just sit around and hope some rescue team was going to find the two of them. Looking around, she found part of the rope that she held onto before they fell, now shortened to a lengthy piece. She cleared her head of negative thoughts as she picked it up and, using her free hand and teeth, tied a tight knot on her right bicep, just over her black bands. Wrapping the rope around her left hand a few times, Lightning steadied herself with a few deep breaths before giving a fierce tug as she jerked her torso against the force. The head of the humeral bone successfully found its way back in place, but the pain was worse than before. Keeling over, she used her left arm as support over the ground while waiting for the worst part to die out.

She wanted to just collapse right there and rest, but Cloud was far from okay, and she needed to get him under some shelter. Looking ahead, Lightning saw a well-rounded niche within the side of the mountain and decided that was the best option she was given. Once she stumbled over to him, she flipped Cloud over onto his backside, gasping with fright as she saw the deep cut just below the hairline on his head. Though she wanted to torture herself at that moment for getting him into this mess, her good arm looped around his left underarm and dragged him along with her lowly crouched figure. Slowly, she maneuvered him around the rocks and dirt, even up the slight elevation to reach the niche and protect them from any more soakage.

After Lightning carefully laid him down next to the wall, she rummaged through her red pack and pulled out medical gauze, which she was grateful for still being dry. It then occurred to her that she needed both arms to dress Cloud's wounds, despite the assurance that her right shoulder was going to be terribly stressed out. Nevertheless, she went ahead and used her good arm to hold up his head while she hastily wrapped it using her right hand. She used some of it to gather falling rain and wipe off the blood from his face, and she sighed with relief when she noticed that no other severe harm came to him.

Looking back out to the gorge, she noticed his sword piercing the ground not too far away, and her gunblade still in its gun mode a little farther off. Lightning first went to get Cloud's Fusion Sword and brought it back to lay it next to him. Once she went to retrieve her gunblade, she carefully folded it up properly and placed it back in the holster behind her legs.

Lightning craned her neck upward so that she could observe her surroundings; a long sigh drew out of her mouth when she realized there was no way for her to get the both of them out with her condition. Returning to the small niche, she used the rest of her gauze to keep her arm up as if it was in a sling, wrapping the gauze around her arm and neck. Her eyes finally lingered on Cloud resting across from her, remorse and self-hatred boiling inside. If she hadn't turned around and gone off without telling him or Reeve, they would all be resting in Rocket Town, chatting with Cid and Shera over a cup of tea.

Crawling over to him, she carefully lifted his head so it could rest upon her lap; her hand gently combed its way through his spiky blond hair as the guilt augmented.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she fought back tears. This was the last thing she wanted to happen to him. Time and time again, Cloud had always been there for her, but her recklessness got him caught up in such a mess. If anything worse had happened to him, Lightning couldn't imagine a future anymore. Even if he hated her after this, she cherished his own life far more than their friendship, and she would be more than happy to go along with whatever he wished for…

That was, if they survived.

* * *

His head felt like it could have been the punching bag of Dio, the owner of the Gold Saucer. As his eyes slowly fluttered open, Cloud's memories rushed back to him, and he immediately sat upright with wide eyes.

"Lightning!"

He saw the drenched gorge before him; the rain disappeared, and the smell of wet dirt wafted into the niche he appeared to be in. In due time, a heavy pain weighed on his head, and as he placed a hand on his forehead, he noticed it being wrapped up with excellent medical care.

Looking over his shoulder, Cloud found Lightning slumbering against the wall, his eyes widening at the sight of the makeshift sling.

"Hey," he said anxiously, kneeling on one knee while laying a hand on her shoulder. When she gradually regained consciousness, her eyes flew wide open, and with a gasp, her left arm flung itself over Cloud's shoulders. Lightning pulled him close, and he allowed his arms to carefully wrap around her trembling form.

"You're alive!" she let out in a sigh of relief, yet her voice still trembled with fear. She gathered a fistful of his black shirt, assuring herself that it wasn't an illusion. Cloud heard distress in her voice, and as she pulled back, he saw a few tears spill down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. Because of me, we fell down here-"

"It's all right," he said in a rush, worrying more about the sling her arm was in. "Are you okay?"

Lost in her own thoughts, Lightning failed to hear his concerns as the tears continued to fall. "It was stupid to just run out like that, without considering the danger—"

"Lightning!"

He held the sides of her face, snapping her out of her babble to make her look into his worried eyes. Cloud's eyebrows furrowed together when he noticed the despair in her features. Even when he was the one unconscious for the longest time, what mattered to him the most was making sure Lightning was stable in the mental and emotional sense.

With a sigh, he lightly smirked at her needless worry. "I'm fine. Just a minor blow to the head. Believe me – I've had worse."

His attempt to lighten the situation barely made her feel any better. Pulling her head close, he planted a gentle kiss upon her forehead as she fought the inevitable tears. "It's okay," he whispered as he nestled Lightning's head into the crane of his neck.

It baffled her as to why he was ready to forgive her so easily. In any other situation, she would have had to take sole responsibility, and yet Cloud alleviated her of the guilt, refusing to link her with any negative emotion. Lightning took deep breaths of relief, soothing her chest that was wracked with sobs.

"I'm more concerned about you," he said as he pulled back. His thumb tenderly brushed the tears away from her cheek, and his eyes fell upon the sling once more. "How did that happen?"

"The rope. I got tangled in it before we fell…"

"Is it still…?"

Lightning shook her head. "No, I popped it back in."

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Cloud looked back out into the gorge. Only a bare amount of light streamed down from above, thought it still meant that the storm had dissipated.

"So, you saw someone?" he asked, suddenly remembering the events that occurred right before they fell.

Lightning hung her head in remorse. "I was sure I did…" After all that happened, she began to doubt herself, thinking that his attempt to help her was unnecessary. "You didn't have to come after me."

With a twitch of his eye, he disapproved of the negative comment. "I wanted to," he emphasized while turning back to her. His tone caught her attention as she looked up, and she was met with earnest eyes. "Lightning, no matter what, I'm gonna worry about you."

She shook her head, refusing to let go of the guilt. "But you could have died."

"If I hadn't gone after you, _you'd_ be dead by now." As she bit her bottom lip, Cloud sighed as he took her free hand into one of his. "It's not like I can just sit back while someone I cherish runs off into danger."

"And that's why you came along in the first place," Lightning realized.

"Yeah. If I didn't, I'd be sitting at the bar constantly checking my phone, or probably even calling you." They lightly chuckled, and it relieved Cloud that she was able to smile through her self-torment. "So from now on, I'm coming along…just to remind you to be careful."

Lightning nervously frowned at the proposal, finding it a bit odd for them to be together that much. "You really think _I_ wanna see you get hurt again?"

"Believe me, I'd rather you just stay in Midgar Area so I don't worry so much."

"Well, I'm probably gonna be there for a while anyways, especially with this," she said, indicating her injured arm.

Cloud nodded. "It's a start."

She let out a tiny chuckle…then, as if massive weights were suddenly taken off her shoulders, Lightning deeply sighed as her head tiredly rested on Cloud's shoulder. Every little thing he did for her was more than enough, and she was grateful that there was someone in this world willing to go all those extra miles for her. It amazed her how greatly he cared for the people around him...which finally helped explain the odd sensation in her chest.

Cloud has been the one person she could never find a replacement for. Not even on Cocoon was there someone she would go so far for aside from her sister. No matter what, she wanted to be by Cloud's side - help him through whatever struggles he had because she couldn't bear to see him suffer, regardless of the cause.

Choosing optimism over wallowing, Lightning straightened back up as she observed the gorge. "Looks like there's no way out," she speculated. Cloud, on the other hand, had gears turning in his head as he followed her gaze, sheathing his sword in its holster.

"We fell just below the bridge, right? There should be an entrance to the sewer tunnels heading back to the town."

Lightning frowned in minor disgust. "Sewers…great."

"Hey, at least we're going together," Cloud amended as he took Lightning's hand into his. She smiled gently as the thought left a warm sensation in her chest; since her time with her fellow l'Cie, Lightning was tired of facing perils alone, even if she pushed others away to begin with. After the crazy events she put Cloud through so far, it was a miracle he was still more than willing to be with her.

"Right," she nodded.

Leading the way, Cloud walked through the gorge on a path he seemed to know pretty well. In the base of Mt. Nibel, there was an old sewage drain that the teenagers once used to escape in. Since the destruction of the original Nibelheim, it has long been deserted, so creatures were free to inhabit the tunnels. They weren't much of a threat, but when they appeared, Cloud didn't hesitate to take them all on while Lightning kept her distance and made long range shots with her gunblade.

Once they reached the elevator that brought them to Shinra Mansion, Cloud pulled out his cell phone, hoping that they'd get reception soon enough.

"Wonder if Reeve's trying to find us."

They ended up in the basement, and after some more traveling upward, they eventually reached the main floor. As Cloud went to open the doors, the both of them were surprised to be greeted by Reeve and a whole squad of WRO members. Lightning recognized a few of them as a special on-call unit in cases of emergencies.

Reeve sighed with relief as he approached them. "Sorry for the delayed rescue."

"Took you long enough," Cloud retorted with a smirk, and Reeve laughed.

"Well, we have meds prepared to dress your wounds...and I'm sure this mission has already come to a conclusion."

Lightning pursed her lips with disappointment. "Sorry...but I don't think people will be living here for a long while."

Reeve nodded. "Understood...what's important is that you two are back alive. The extra funds can go to research." He turned to motion to the chopper. "We can stop by Cid's on the way back."

They sighed with relief, now that everything was done. Glancing at each other, Lightning and Cloud quietly chuckled at the little adventure they just had, wishing that they'd never have to go through that kind of ordeal again. As they boarded the chopper, medical personnel properly tended to their wounds; Lightning's arm in particular was wrapped and placed in a proper sling, but Cloud's cut was already partially closed, and only a small amount of stitches were needed.

They left with Reeve in the chopper while the WRO troops stayed behind to clean up the mess. As it slowly ascended into the air, Cloud tiredly turned sideways and allowed himself to fall back…his head perfectly landing in Lightning's lap. Her eyes widened in surprise while he seemed to make himself comfortable, as if he tried to go to sleep.

"It was kinda cozy back down there," he joked with a smirk, and peeked through one eyelid as she chuckled in response. When her fingers ran through his yellow spikes, Lightning didn't feel any more guilt like before; it was calm and serene, as if she wanted them to stay that way forever.

Cloud wasn't exactly sure of what he was doing. To others, his actions have seemed off or different, even if he had changed for the better since the battle with Kadaj and Sephiroth. However, when he was with Lightning, all the troubles didn't matter anymore. As long as she was around, the fights were worth fighting, for he knew she would be waiting at the end with the smile that was rare yet kind.

Maybe that was why it saddened him when she kept searching for a way back to Pulse. Without her, life at 7th Heaven wouldn't have been the same, not after meeting her. Cloud was rarely known to be selfish…but for now, he didn't want Lightning out of his reach, or else the meaning of happiness would never be the same to him anymore.


	8. You Owe Me Some New Glasses

**You Owe Me Some New Glasses**

Volunteering as a security of sorts at the bar obviously didn't pay, but it certainly beat staying in a room the whole time. Every night, Lightning sat in a far corner of 7th Heaven, her eyes scouring the patrons as they laughed and enjoyed their beer. It was usually such a tedious task, and part of her wished she had the survival knife Serah gave her to fiddle with, only it must have fallen when she disappeared from Pulse.

Some members of her squad frequent the bar, and they'd greet her with a pleasant smile. There would be times they relay some information to her…or it could just be a casual hang time that Lightning never expected. When her squad arrived, they would all take a table close to her and go off in their usual antics. One member named Sage had lots of wit and an entertaining comedic side, bringing vitality to the team, which even Lightning enjoyed. Jane was usually the closest one to Lightning, sharing her day's activities and hopes for the future. In time, Lightning developed a bit of a sisterly bond with her, taking up the job as a sort of mentor.

"Everyone want their usuals?" Tifa asked as she approached their table one night. The team confirmed in unison while Lightning nodded – she always requested a single glass for herself to keep her from being tipsy for the rest of the night.

Jane turned to Lightning with an eccentric look. "So captain, Nibelheim was a bust?"

"Yeah," Lightning replied, remembering the unforgettable event that happened just last week. "Too many monsters in Mt. Nibel, and I don't think people would want them that close."

From across the table, Vic sarcastically chuckled. "Well, too bad there are actually monsters _within_ the town."

His comment piqued Lightning's interest. "What do you mean?"

"Well, y'know, the legends about Nibelheim, especially in the Shinra Mansion."

She scooted forward, taking an actual spot on the table as her eyes never left Vic. "Actually, no I don't."

Vic smirked as everyone else got caught up in the intrigue. "So, you know about the mako reactor in Mt. Nibel, right? That mountain is one of the best sources for mako, and so Shinra wanted to use it. The mansion in Nibelheim has a secret lab in the basement where they performed a shitload of experiments with mako."

Thinking back to her journey through the sewers, Lightning vaguely remembered underground storage rooms and more hidden passageways that she and Cloud didn't get the chance to explore. If what Vic said was true, those rooms could have possibly housed specimens, products of endless operations with the Planet's life force.

Could this have been what Vincent was subjected to? Back at the mako fountain, Cloud told her about overexposure to it and the bad side effects. Her thoughts about Vincent came back, and she was more than eager to figure out what kind of person he really is.

"Is it really true?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, and some SOLIDERs from Shinra would mutate overtime. They called it mako overdose. Of course, SOLIDERs would just usually be super strong, but still…it happened."

The other members grimaced, thinking back into their pasts. "Good thing I didn't join SOLIDER," one of them said.

It was clear to Lightning that Shinra was a malevolent symbol on the Planet, and everyone was grateful that the tyrannical company was long gone. Toying with other people's lives, it made them no better than the fal'Cie.

Right next to her, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and Cloud appeared still dressed in his usual attire. He walked straight over to the bar, Tifa greeting him with her regular smile. As they talked, the expressions on their faces were so casual and pleasant, and Tifa chuckled every once in a while to what he said. Just seeing the two of them together somehow irked Lightning inside. They shared such a warm aura that they could easily be mistaken for a couple, despite the truth that she was well aware of. Furthermore, Tifa was Cloud's childhood friend – she knew far more about him than anyone else, ergo a better chance at winning his heart.

Lightning noticed how lost in her thoughts she had become, and definitely looking at Cloud and Tifa didn't help. Clearing her head, she turned back to her team's conversations, hoping to destroy the stinging sensation in her chest.

When most of her squad finished their glasses, Lightning walked over to the counter, noticing that Cloud had disappeared. "Where did Cloud go?"

Tifa was rummaging through a cabinet by her feet before straightening up and wiping her hands with a cloth. "Someone on the other side of town called," she explained while looking at the cabinet with dismay. "They needed him to pick up a package and carry it first thing in the morning." Once she quickly surveyed the cabinet, Tifa turned to Lightning with an embarrassing smile. "Do you mind watching the bar for a few minutes? I'm just gonna go to the storage in the back."

Lightning nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Soon after, her squad called it a night and bid her farewell. Lightning took it upon herself to clean up after them when one of the patrons stumbled by the counter.

"Hey there, pretty ladeh," he said in a slurred speech. "How about we go upstairs an' have a lil' talkin'?"

She rolled her eyes at the intoxication and turned to him with pursed lips.

"All right, sir. Take it easy." She reached out to grab hold of his shoulders and spin him around. "Why don't you go have a seat and I'll get some water for you?"

Whining, the man faced her again and gripped tightly onto her wrists, giving her a pathetic puppy dog pout. "Come on, don't be like that…"

Lightning tried to give the usual tug at her arms…but the man's grip was particularly strong. The only way to break herself free was to violently pull enough and have their arms swing, and that would be more than enough to cause a scene. Out of the corner of her eye, she already saw one or two patrons taking note of the exchange, and she was sure that if it continued, everyone would turn to it. She didn't want anything to turn into a tussle, especially in this limited space.

"Sir," she said in a low voice while shooting a glare at the man. "Let go of me." If anything pissed her off, it would be an overly persistent man, especially when he wasn't thinking straight. Snow would always get on her nerves with his arrogance, but at least he was consciously earnest and somewhat sober in his efforts. On the other hand, this man was just a poor victim to alcohol, though she really wouldn't use the term "poor" since he chose his actions.

The man began to sway in his stance, his head slowly falling past his shoulders, but it didn't stop him from holding on to Lightning. Growling at the predicament, she realized her Blazefire Sabre was left leaning against the leg of her chair back at her squad's table. She regularly used it to make mild threats, but what else could she do? Brandishing a knife seemed a bit too extreme, but she took what she could get.

Lightning tried to turn her body around and look for a sharp utensil, and the man's stumbling somewhat helped her achieve her goal. The closer she got, the more her body was able to turn around. With one final tug, she was able to get her arms free almost effortlessly, and she quickly turned around to continue her search…but a chilling feeling erupted in her chest. Something felt different on her body, making her feel a strange mixture of mortification and rage. The man's nasty breath from his chuckle suddenly found its way to the nape of her neck, and the worst kind of goosebumps traveled down her spine. Looking down at her chest, she noticed a hand crept around her body and placing itself casually on her breast, its palm cupped perfectly around her curve.

In the same amount of time it took for her jaw to drop and chagrin to build up within, the hand disappeared from sight. Though she was relieved that it was finally away from her breast, it surprised Lightning that he had actually done so. She abandoned the plan of grabbing a convenient weapon and spun around after hearing a sudden loud bang. Great vibrations rattled the clean glasses by the counter, and some even crashed to the floor, only to shatter into pieces. Almost all of the patrons in the bar gasped or murmured to themselves quietly while observing the scene that caught their full attention. The bar had practically become silent except for the painful groans coming from the man shoved into the counter; his arm was nearly twisted the whole way around to his back. His head was driven into the counter, and the hand atop it looked like it had the potential to crush his skull.

"Cloud," Lightning breathed out with wide eyes.

She had never seen him like this before, for he was usually stoic and kept to himself. Instead, Cloud's eyes brimmed with anger, his face darkened with a taut jaw, and the creases on his forehead multiplied immensely. From the look of things, he was just a muscle twitch away from snapping the poor guy's arm off or smashing his skull in.

"AAH!" the man shrieked. Bits of glass began cutting at his face. "What gives, man?!"

"Cloud," Lightning said, her voice a little louder. "I'm fine." Although her voice sounded sure, it didn't stop her arms from crossing in front of her chest, the violation still plaguing her mind. Cloud took note of this from the corner of his eye before pulling the man up from the counter and shoving him to the side. Tifa emerged from the back room, skidding to a stop after running at the sound of commotion.

As the man cringed on the floor, two of the other patrons ran to his side, bowing to Cloud for mercy. "We're really sorry, sir! It didn't occur to us that he would get this drunk."

"Take him home," Cloud demanded in a flat and dark tone. His crisp words made everyone else in the bar fall silent, and the man with his companions quivered in fear. "Next time he comes here, make sure he thinks twice about drowning himself in beer."

While the man was escorted out of the bar, the rest of the patrons still watched Cloud with chattering teeth. Most of them understood the general gist of Cloud's past and strength, so angering him was considered one of the dumbest things a man in Edge could do.

Tifa looked at him worriedly, wondering just what had set him off in the way he did, but what concerned her more was the bothered look on Lightning's face as well as her stance.

"Lightning," she said gently as she walked past Cloud to get to her. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Calming herself down, Lightning dropped her arms and looked away with mild irritation. "The guy just had a little too much – started bothering me while I was trying to clean up."

Tifa frowned – she knew there was more. "Come on, what did he do?"

Lightning peered over to Cloud, who seemed to be eavesdropping with his back still turned to them. The anger was still settling in his eyes, and his trembling fist couldn't relax. Despite pulling her out of a nasty situation, there was something that was keeping him from facing her.

"Really," she assured Tifa. "He was bothering me a little, got kinda inappropriate…"

At that, Cloud stomped his way to the stairs, going up to the second floor in silence. Everyone else on the first floor listened quietly as they heard his stomps followed by a cacophonous sound of a door being slammed shut; Tifa and Lightning jumped in place before looking at each other in shock.

"I'm sorry," Lightning muttered, but Tifa shook her head.

"No, don't feel sorry, Light. Nothing was your fault. It just caught me by surprise that I come back to find him fighting someone."

It didn't help Lightning from eventually feeling bad for causing a scene. Perhaps it was better to just take matters into her own hands from the beginning. However, one thought refused to leave her alone – the reason for Cloud taking it as far as he did. From a glance, his actions just a few minutes ago seemed logical, but the anger and frustration he emitted was a bit odd, especially when he didn't directly face Lightning soon after.

Everyone left for their homes a little earlier than usual, the stagnant air of the confrontation making the aura somewhat awkward for the rest of the night. Tifa and Lightning cleaned up everything before calling it a night, and Tifa took exceptional effort to make sure her friend was well by the time she retreated to her room. One last stop was made before she went to her own room; taking quiet steps, she noticed how there was a small crack open in Cloud's door. Slowly pulling it open, she peered in and wasn't at all surprised to find him still awake.

His arms were crossed behind his head on the pillow while he stared up at the ceiling. Even when he was lying in darkness, she could tell he was dwelling on what had happened just an hour ago.

"You owe me some new glasses," she poked jokingly as she leaned against the doorframe. He let out a tiny chuckle that sounded too close to a scoff.

"Don't worry – you can take it out my earnings." Although he intended to sound as sarcastic as her, the rage in his voice was still evident. When she didn't reply, Cloud tried to direct the conversation to a certain topic that strayed from the one person on his mind. "Sorry about scaring your customers."

Tifa smirked as she breathed out a laugh. "Come on, you know that's not exactly why I'm here." She then walked in and approached his bed as he swung his legs around to sit upright at the edge. As she observed his expression, she noticed how his eyes avoided looking at her, making her suspicions even stronger. "How much did you see?"

Cloud clasped his hands together, the memory of the incident bringing back the terrible emotions. "Enough," he replied in a deadly tone.

Nodding, Tifa pursed her lips. "…So when are you gonna let her know how you feel?" When Cloud looked up at her curiously, she couldn't help but laugh at how clueless he was. "Really, Cloud. You should work on making yourself not so obvious."

Feeling his face turn red, Cloud craned his neck to look in a different direction. Tifa folded her arms before her and an uncontrollable smile graced her features. "I'm sure she likes you, too." When he looked up to cock an eyebrow, she rolled her eyes before crouching down to his eye level. She'd have to deal with the whole blind-love fiasco another time. "But tell me – what do you like about her?"

He felt unpleasant telling her about this, but her question made him ponder about exactly what drew him to Lightning. Billions of things swirled inside his head, but it wasn't like they were inflicting pain. Instead, they actually made his mood feel lighter, as if the incident that occurred downstairs no longer plagued his mind.

"She can trust others and look on the bright side of things…but it's easy to see she came a long way to be who she is right now. Back on Pulse and Cocoon, I'm sure she endured a lot of pain, but she learned from it. She sets goals and is determined to complete them, and though she's aware of her limitations, she still does what she can."

Tifa's smile almost reached her eyes as she laid a gentle hand on Cloud's. Though she was glad that Cloud felt something for Lightning since the beginning, it relieved her that his reasons were far more than adequate to be considered true. For too long, he had been dwelling in the dark on his past, atoning for the sins he believed he caused. It's been long overdue for him to move on in his life, and she was grateful Lightning had arrived at the opportune moment.

Noticing her bright smile, Cloud began to look awkwardly away again, avoiding her gaze. She laughed before straightening back up. "Right. Well, I'll do what I can."

"Huh?" He looked up at her with his confused expression once more.

"You finally found your 'light'; can't let it slip away now, can we?"

It was only after she finally left the room did Cloud finally begin to worry about something. Like many people had pointed out, he and Lightning shared many traits with each other, particularly with how Cloud _used_ to be. He saw most of his old self in Lightning when they first met, and it struck something inside him. Could he be only helping her just because she resembled him in the past, with would-be SOLDIER styles and distant connections with others? It's true he didn't want Lightning to go away, but maybe he just wanted to help her in a way Tifa and his friends helped him two years ago.

Once that task was complete, what was left between her and Cloud? The endless thoughts grew heavy on his mind and heart, and he was dragged back into his frustrated brooding as he went back to lying down on the bed. It wasn't that he couldn't envision a future with Lightning there, but instead, Cloud couldn't exactly define her role in his life. The concept of love wasn't that familiar to him; Aerith had disappeared before he got the chance to know her better, and those tiny sparks he had felt with Tifa drowned in guilt and timidity.

What was Lightning to him, and how was he going to deal with it?


	9. You're Okay, Farron

**So I said I usually don't address my readers in huge blocks of text, but I'm a liar, too. So sue me.**

**I know I've been keeping silent in regards to the questions in your reviews, but that's because I feel that answering them would give spoilers that I don't want to ruin. Don't worry –the whole plot is already thought out, and I know exactly where this story is going to go, but I wanted to stretch it out a bit. However, just to get you guys off my back, here is an overview of plot elements that should stick out.**

**1 – Yes, Deepground is here in the story. But remember, this story started relatively soon after Advent Children, and chronologically, the events of Dirge of Cerberus don't happen until _at least_ a year after that. I wanna keep the game's story as canon as possible, with Lightning interwoven in it. K, this was more or less a spoiler, but I did see all your questions, and hopefully this will ease your minds a bit.**

**2 – Back when Lightning contracted Geostigma, she had a vision of Serah and Snow briefly before snapping back to reality. Given that, could she have really been on mako overdose this whole time? Did she really fabricate the world of Cocoon and Pulse for the past 21 years? It seems logical, given that when Cloud was overdosed, his mind twisted memories. So for now, yeah she may think that her past is somehow influenced by mako, but a part of her is still holding on to some hope that it was real. She's just keeping it down so she wouldn't give up in this new life or moving forward. It's depressing to think that her whole life was a lie, but holding on to the memories and relief that all is right in the "fabricated" world is what keeps her going.**

**3 – Since the story will inevitably lead into Dirge of Cerberus, Vincent will have a key role – not just because of the game, but he plays a significant part in Lightning's story. What kind of part he has, I can't really say until the DoC events begin much later.**

**4 – Sephiroth's hallucinogenic appearance has significance, but this is in the potential far future. The little part with the hallucination is actually symbolic for something I have planned and am currently writing, but again, SPOILERS!**

**Okay….that was a lot _ And because it's a lot, hopefully you guys will actually _read_ it. Just keep these in mind, and all will be good. So let's get a move on to the chapter, yeah?  
**

* * *

**You're Okay, Farron**

The skidding tires in front of the bar alerted Tifa of Cloud's return. Her nerves began acting up, sweat beginning to appear at the very edge of her hairline. Since his journey to deliver a gift to Cid in Rocket Town, he hadn't called for two days, believing that everything was okay back in Edge. It worried Tifa that he was putting in too much faith in what he told Lightning, but in all honesty, he should have known better.

He strolled into the bar just like any other day, coming up to Tifa, who was busy setting up the bar for opening up in just a couple of hours.

"Hey, you're back!" she greeted a little too much chipper. After quickly scolding herself, she saw Cloud approach her with a bit of wariness before giving one of his usual smiles. "How was Cid?"

"Doing good," Cloud replied as he sat himself into one of the stools. "He and Shera were arguing about whether to keep their wedding private or public."

"Oh? Why – he hates a crowd?"

Cloud gave a tiny chuckle. "Actually, no. He was the one wanting to make a huge gig."

"What?" Tifa had to put down the glass she was cleaning to stifle her laughter. Never in the two years they knew each other did she think Cid would want to do so much for his upcoming marriage. "Well, that's new."

"He said everyone should take the day off for when he _does_ marry her, even Lightning." The mention of her name made him turn his head toward the stairs, and he was unable to notice the panic on Tifa's face. "Is she here, by the way? On my way back, I didn't see her with the rest of the squad."

Before Tifa could answer, he already made his way up the stairs, and she was left biting her lip as she waited. It was only half a minute when he came back down with a creased forehead, his eyes filled with suspicion and irritation. "She's not upstairs," he said, trying to keep his voice even as Tifa's worry became increasingly obvious. "Tifa…where's Lightning?"

She had a feeling he would act this way, though not as intense. It was no use pretending at this point, and she sighed while giving him an apologetic look. "WRO's having a meeting in Junon. Reeve picked her up yesterday." She swore she heard a growl in his throat as he turned to go back outside. In her head, Tifa had an idea of what he was going to do and rounded the bar. "You won't make it!" she called out. "The meeting's on a ship to Costa del Sol…and it won't be back in Junon until tomorrow afternoon."

Though she couldn't see exactly what he was doing from inside the bar, she heard an exasperated sigh and a loud bang upon what she assumed to be Fenrir. Tifa also sighed before Cloud came back in, pacing back and forth while scratching the back of his head.

"Did no one think about letting me know?" he asked with frustration.

In response, Tifa threw up her arms. "Well, Cloud. We didn't really think it concerned you so much…unless there's something you want to say."

He saw where she was going with this, and he wasn't going to fall into that trap. Regardless of how persistent Tifa was, Cloud couldn't admit what she wanted to hear. After the incident at the bar, he had been debating about the truth of his illogical actions around Lightning.

"I just want to make sure she's safe," he answered in a firm tone.

Tifa crossed her arms before her chest. "You know she's more than capable of taking care of herself."

Nothing he could say can turn the situation around. No matter what he said, Cloud knew Tifa was going to try and bring it back to the subject they talked about that night in his room.

'_I can't,'_ he convinced himself. _'I can't be involved…'_ Without a word, he trudged past Tifa and made his way to his room, slamming the door behind him. Tifa sighed with worry as she shook her head.

"Why doesn't he just admit it?" she said to no one. "Save everybody else the hassle…"

* * *

"And that concludes the meeting," Reeve announced. As soon as he got up from his seat, everyone around the table sighed and relaxed from their stiff poses. Along the end of one side, Lightning checked the clock as it read 11 AM. As far as she knew, Cloud would have been back in Edge by now, and thinking about him made her insides twist.

When Reeve came to the bar to inform her of the meeting, at first, she hesitated about taking off without Cloud. They _did_ make that promise of going together, but when she took a step back, the deep concern didn't seem as logical as it sounded. One of the first things that came up in her mind was to call him and let him know of her little adventure…until the incident in the bar came back.

Her hand flew to her ear, fiddling with the Fenrir emblem attached to it. From that point on, whenever Cloud appeared in her head, strange palpitations erupted in her chest, and she couldn't shake them away. Just why exactly did he become so enraged when that man assaulted her in the bar? He didn't have to take it as far as he did, and yet he was acting like…

Furrowing her eyebrows, Lightning shook her head. As good as Cloud was to her, she couldn't possibly think too much of his generosity. She already saw from the beginning that he was kindhearted, and she can't let her emotions manipulate her thought processes by wanting to turn it into something more.

After stretching her legs out, Lightning got up and headed out of the board room and up to the deck, breathing in the fresh sea air. It reminded her of the seaside town of Bodhum, and a relaxing wave washed through her body. She liked the first time she rode on the ship to the Gold Saucer; Lightning spent most of her time looking up at the night sky, no longer hindered by the bright lights of the city. The stars gave her peace, making her want to keep going so she could see them another night.

"You're a sea person, aren't ya?"

She turned around to see a lanky young man with maroon eyes and dark brunette hair. He wore the traditional WRO uniform, though his jacket was left open at the top, revealing a black shirt underneath. As he smiled, it held a mysterious aura – Lightning didn't want to warm up to the stranger right away, but she still decided it was best to give the benefit of the doubt.

"Yeah," she responded in a casual tone. "I used to live by the seaside."

He nodded with intrigue, swaggering toward her while his eyes seemed to appraise her appearance from head to toe. Just as Lightning felt like taking a step back to create distance, the man shot his hand out between them.

"Name's Devon – Junon Area Patrol."

"Farron," Lightning replied as she shook his hand. He lifted his eyebrow with curiosity, and it made her wonder just exactly what was running through his head.

"So it _is_ you," he said with some excitement. "You're big talk within WRO – practically the best within the military division." Circling around her like a vulture, Lightning watched as he continued his appraisal.

"Really?" She never thought she would be such a big topic among people. Back on Cocoon, she was known for her strict militaristic ways and as one of the chosen few to be issued a Blazefire Saber. Amodar was about to give her a promotion from her sergeant position, but it didn't delude her into thinking she was such a special case.

Devon nodded. "Yeah. After all, it was you who convinced the commissioner to expand the WRO's military branch across the Planet. In fact, I've wanted to meet you for a while, but with the mountains and the Zolom by the chocobo ranch…it's a challenge."

Lightning smirked as she turned back out to the ocean. "Be serious. Reeve wouldn't say that much about me."

He shrugged in defeat as his flattery had been shot down. "You got me, but seriously – I've heard stories about you."

As they talked, Lightning found herself denying her expectations of the trip. She believed it would be a waste of time, just some business for a few hours while being stuck across the waters away from Edge. Luckily, Devon had decided to meet up with her and lighten up the mood with his energetic personality. Much to her surprise, she even managed to laugh at his cluelessness in some areas of military, such as being stealthy or the proper way to ambush enemies.

It was late afternoon by the time they docked in Costa del Sol, and most of the WRO headed straight for the inn. However, just as Lightning settled in to her room, a knock came upon her door, and Devon was waiting with a smile as she opened it.

"I heard the bar here serves great drinks," he announced. "We should go have some."

She leaned her head against the door, contemplating which course of action to take. "I don't know…"

Devon offered his hand out to her, the innocent smile appearing on his face once again. "Come on, what's life without a little adventure?"

Although a part of her continued to deny his offer, it seemed really appealing to take the chance. If she wasn't going to come back to Costa de Sol on a vacation like this, who knew what she was going to be missing out on?

"All right," she said with a calm smile as she closed her door behind her. "No heavy drinking, though."

Devon playfully scoffed. "With the commissioner here? Of course not."

She laughed as they walked to the bar just across the plaza, where many locals sat together merrily with their alcohol. As Devon and Lightning sat down with their drinks, he went on to describe his adventures in Junon. After hearing about the WRO's development, he instantly joined to help everyone in Junon, particularly those who lived right next to the coast. Lightning eventually got sucked in to his lesson of Planet history, particularly Shinra's supposed glory of being such a huge conglomerate until their First Class SOLDIERs caused havoc.

"What really started their downfall was their top First Class, the best of the best – Sephiroth."

The name rang bells in her head, for she remembered it from one of her conversations with Tifa. "You mean the one who destroyed Nibelheim?" she asked.

Devon nodded. "Uh-huh. He was regarded as a "hero", because he literally was the strongest guy out there. But then in Nibelheim, something ticked him off, and it was some crazy shit."

She couldn't wrap her head around it – someone who was heralded as a savior suddenly turned on society and became a menace to the population. The more Lightning learned about the Planet, the more she was grateful that she arrived in a peaceful time, after such hardships.

"Y'know what?" she heard, snapping out of her reverie and turning to a smirking Devon. "You're okay, Farron. To tell you the truth, I thought you'd be all uptight and Miss Morality."

Lightning shrugged. "Not much I could do while I'm here. May as well enjoy my time, right?"

With a sagely nod, Devon toasted to her and chugged down his glass. Lightning chuckled at this surprising friendship she never thought to occur. It could have been due to the extreme boredom she initially found on the trip, but either way, she was grateful he was there to help her loosen up. Back on Cocoon, Serah had always wished Lightning would find some time to relax and ease her mind of Guardian Corps troubles.

Now Lightning only wished that Serah could see how much she changed.

* * *

When the ship finally docked back into Junon, Devon took the liberty of walking Lightning down to the old village. They even exchanged cell phone numbers, even though Lightning didn't expect to ever see or talk to him again. Still, she didn't want to reject his friendship after the great time they spent in Costa de Sol.

The two of them walked past town limits, and Devon peered off into the distance and saw a motorcycle parked with a man leaning against its side. "Wonder who that is…"

Lightning followed his gaze, her eyes widening in shock. Arms folded before him, Cloud watched her give him an apologetic look before sighing. She suddenly remembered exactly how bad she expected things to be once she came back to the Eastern Continent.

"Uhh…that's my ride," she explained. "I'll see you later, then." Lightning placed her hand on Devon's shoulder for a small second before walking over to the somber man. "See ya," she heard from behind, but she paid very little attention to it as she got closer to Cloud.

His face was blank despite the paranoia plaguing Lightning's mind. Although no words were spoken, she knew his coming to Junon was a sort of "punishment" for leaving without letting him know. As she stood before him, her eyes did their best to stay locked with his, refusing to stray and show any guilt; it wasn't in her nature to feel a whole lot of guilt.

"When did you find out?" Lightning asked, finding a way to strike up any lighthearted conversation with him.

Thankfully, Cloud let out a small chuckle and cracked a smile, and she gave a quiet sigh of relief. "Yesterday. And believe me – I wasn't very calm about it."

She frowned with a small pout. "Is it really wrong for me to leave without telling you?"

"Well, I wouldn't want you to just slip away, right?" As he turned around to mount his bike, Cloud froze in place, his words bringing back a flurry of emotions and memories.

"_**You finally found your 'light'; can't let it slip away now, can we?"**_

In an instant, his brows tightly knitted together, the frustration coming back to plague his mind. Why was he caring so much if she was just gone for a couple of days? She's just a friend, he kept telling himself since that night at 7th Heaven. Cloud couldn't afford to let her in and become too important in his life, regardless of how much a part of him wanted to help her, to _be_ with her. Allowing himself to cherish more people seemed to cause them trouble, which he certainly didn't want to bring upon Lightning.

She became breathless at his words, but she remembered not to take his words too seriously. Even though she wanted to be as close to him as possible, she refused to make herself be a burden upon his feelings. "I'm sorry," Lightning said gently. Cloud glanced over his shoulder as she folded her arms across her chest, contemplating about what to do in the future.

He finally got on Fenrir and turned on the engine. "Come on - Tifa made a good dinner, and she hates it when her creations get cold," he said with a smirk. With relief, Lightning chuckled and climbed on, wrapping her arms around his waist as he glanced back toward Junon with scrutiny. "Who's he?"

Lightning glanced back toward Devon, who watched them with a hard face. "He's from Junon Patrol. We hung out in Costa del Sol while we were there." Before he turned his face to begin driving the bike, she could have sworn she saw a dark scowl fixed upon Cloud's lips. It struck her as odd that he would direct some hostility to her new acquaintance…

But what made her even more wary was how Devon returned the nasty look before turning back to Junon.


	10. What's Got His Britches In a Knot?

**What's Got His Britches In a Knot?**

"You callin' bullshit on me, son?!" Cid slammed the cards in his hand face-down on the table, standing up to glare at Reeve in the eye.

Reeve just smirked and stroked his chin coyly. "Well, considering what I have in my hand, there's no way you could have discarded four Queens." The reasoning caught Cid, and he was left to grumble as he sat back down and collect the cards in the middle of the table.

"Son of a…piece of…"

From beside Reeve, Barret chuckled at the pilot's loss. "C'mon, Cid. Who'd be smart enough to call all four?"

"Shaddup!" He glanced toward Lightning beside him, who pursed her lips to keep herself from laughing aloud. "Hurry up 'n play, dammit!"

Everyone felt relieved that they could meet up again and fool around for old time's sake. After resolving the issue of Geostigma last year together, Cloud and the others felt worried about not being able to reunite once more and enjoy each other's company. It was his chance to bring his life to normal once again…or maybe it was a chance to actually start his life just like how he had hoped for the moment he joined SOLDIER.

Lightning had begun to see somewhat of a change within Cloud. Since she came to the Planet, he had been increasingly open with everyone around him, especially Lightning herself. She made it a personal goal to see him smile as often as possible, though she had to remind herself to not expect too much. Every time she was with Cloud, the urge to shuffle close or to just even lay her hand upon his shoulder was fought back; she even had to sit across the table from him to keep her heart from racing too fast.

A sudden vibration from her red pouch prompted Lightning to pull out her cell phone and check the caller ID. After quickly glancing around the table, she excused herself and got up to walk out the entrance, answering the call with a smile. "Having fun in Junon?"

All the while, Cloud's eyes only rarely left her backside as he watched through the window. There was only one person he could think of that she would talk to at this late hour, and it irritated him that she'd be on her phone on a somewhat nightly basis. What's more, she didn't mind having to talk to the guy on her spare time, making Cloud's irritation even worse.

When she came back inside some time later, Lightning casually picked up her cards and jumped right back into the game, and she failed to notice Cloud's hard eyes upon her.

"Who was that?" he asked flatly.

Lightning shrugged. "Just Devon," she replied in her usual tone.

Reeve lifted his eyebrows with intrigue. "Ah, yes. From Junon Patrol, right?"

She nodded in response. While everyone passed it off as a natural occurrence and resumed the game, Cloud let out a sigh before folding his cards on the table and getting up from his seat.

"Yo, Cloud, where you going?" Barret wondered.

Cloud didn't bother to break his stride as he rounded the table and headed to the stairs. "I'm done for the day."

Lightning watched him with worry before he disappeared up the steps. Since the meeting in Junon, Cloud had been acting a little off. Sure, he had start becoming more open to the people around him, but there'd be times he would suddenly get ticked off. The vague thought of the reason being Devon kept appearing in her mind, but she reasoned that Cloud would have no purpose of directing any anger at her fellow colleague.

Cid quietly scoffed as he played a card down into the pile. "What's got his britches in a knot?"

After one last round, Cid and Reeve decided to head out while Barret chose to spend the night in Edge, hoping to spend some more time with Marlene. He helped Lightning clean up before checking himself into the last spare room, bidding her a good night and closing the door behind him. Once Lightning entered her own room and changed for bed, she heard a knock on her door.

"Lightning."

She recognized the voice as Cloud's and threw her laundry in a secure spot before sitting down on her bed. "It's open," she called out softly.

Cloud quietly opened the door, only making enough space for him to pass through and shut the door behind him. With her eyes upon him, he felt nervous about approaching her after displaying his attitude downstairs. "I'm sorry if I was a little distant earlier. There were a lot of things on my mind, and I didn't mean for you to feel offended."

Lightning just shook her head. "No, it's all right. Just got a little worried is all."

Her eyes finally noticed something when he came over to sit across from her on the bed. Without his usual pauldron and daily attire, she was able to focus on the sole red ribbon tied around his left bicep. It had been such a minor detail, but she had definitely noticed it among everyone else aside from Reeve.

"Y'know, I've wondered about that," she said, pointing to the ribbon on his arm.

After glancing toward it, a sad expression cloaked his face, and it caught Lightning off guard. "It's for a friend," he replied softly. "We wear them in honor of her. I've told you about her before – the one who died two years ago?"

"Oh…right." Of course they wouldn't just leave her as a memory. For someone so important, Cloud and the others would have to continue her legacy somehow.

After taking a glance, Cloud nodded to her side, eying her right bicep. "You've got some interesting bands yourself."

Lightning glanced down to her arm, slightly lifting it to see the jagged band just above another average slim one. "I share this one with my sister," she explained, pointing to the top band. "She has a same one on her right arm, too." She recalled the very day she bought them. Serah's thirteenth birthday was soon after their mother's death, and she was far from being in the mood to celebrate. Desperate, Lightning had to remind her that she still had her sister, and the black bands as a gift were a perfect way to link them together.

"You two must have been close," Cloud speculated, but instead of making her feel better, it somehow made Lightning worried.

"Not for long. Since my mother died, I put all my efforts into ensuring she would have a future…but it backfired. I never had time, Serah became distant to me, and I was hardly ever there for her." She hugged her knees close to her chest and placed her chin on her folded arms. "It was because I wouldn't listen to her that she got caught up in trouble and taken out of my reach. My only regret before leaving Pulse…was not being there for her enough times to make up for what I've done."

Cloud leaned over and placed a hand on Lightning's shoulder. As she looked up, she met a warm and gentle smile. "I'm sure she didn't hold a grudge against you," he assured in a soft voice. "You gave everything to save her, right? That's more than enough, and I'm sure she was grateful to have a sister like you."

She suddenly remembered the last time she had spoken with Serah, just after waking from their crystal stasis. The smile and joy that was on her sister's face could not have been pretend. All that time, they had looked out for each other; the strains were finally resolved, for what mattered the most was that they were both safe and well. "Right. Thanks. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have gone and dumped my troubles on you like that."

Chuckling softly, Cloud shook his head and looked her square in the eye. "Lightning, you don't have to carry any kind of pain alone. We're all family here. If you need help, just come to us, and we'll be there for you." When she nodded, he withdrew his hand and turned to face the door, his eyes drifting to his feet. "Just…don't go running to that Devon guy."

Lightning's brows knitted together, fearing that her earlier suspicions may have in fact been true. "I wouldn't," she replied with full honesty. "He's a friend, but I don't know him that well."

As soon as he said the words, Cloud instantly regretted muttering them. It must have looked petty to get worked up over a guy Lightning had just met, but he couldn't stop himself from seeing red just thinking about him. If anything, he didn't want her to meet up with Devon again, especially not alone, but it was far from his place to decide who she became friends with.

"Right," he muttered, realizing that things suddenly became a bit awkward. Cloud got up to his feet, anxious to get out of the room to release a heavy sigh. "Well, see you tomorrow, Light."

At first, she hesitated as he headed to the door. Lightning knew Cloud was a man of his word, and therefore trust should never be an issue between them. "It's Claire," she blurted out.

Her voice stopped him just as he opened the door; he turned to look back at her with curious eyes. "What?"

Assuring herself that everything was all right, she turned to him with a ghost of a smile. "My real name…is Claire. I casted it away, along with my past, so I could change for Serah's sake." With a nervous smirk, she gently pressed a finger upon her lips. "Just between us, though…all right?"

It took a moment for him to see the reason, for it seemed like keeping her name a secret was important to her. So why would she suddenly tell Cloud her real name?

And then he realized the truth - Lightning was putting her faith and trust in him, relieving the pain of being alone on the Planet. Cloud was a lifeboat that she never asked for; he readily allowed himself to be there for Lightning when she needed him, for he couldn't bear to see her suffer. With him, she could finally be herself…or perhaps, she could turn into the person she had always wanted to be.

"Sure," he confirmed. "Good night…Claire."

As he closed the door behind him, Lightning steadied her racing heart by taking in deep breaths. It took a lot of gut to open that part of her, for she refused to trust many people with her past. However, Cloud was part of her life now, and she wanted to believe in him as much as possible.

She already resolved to keep him out of her reach. No matter what, Lightning decided to have him as a friend, rather than sabotage everything they have shared together…

But it didn't help beat down the uncontrollable urges and feelings she harbored.


	11. I Gotta Help the Captain

**For those of you who were wondering about Cloud and Devon, they don't know each other. It's just that whole "bad-vibes-I-just-don't-like-you-because-jealousy" angst.**

**I Gotta Help the Captain**

It was subtle, but it surely grew to be a concern within the WRO. Yuffie's warning about missing civilians drifted away for a while until residents from other towns filed similar reports. A bunch of teens and adults, along with a small handful of kids, still haven't been sighted anywhere on the Planet.

The population in Edge was lucky to not have met such stress and worry. However, what did worry them were the faint echoes of cries and wails coming from the direction of Midgar. They never heard them before and assumed it was just the strong winds against the tall buildings…but they never stopped. A unit from Midgar Area Patrol was dispatched to investigate any disturbances within the ruins, but all they got were vigilant wildlife and even more scrap to help continue building Edge.

Still, Lightning scrutinized the ruins from afar. As she patrolled through Edge streets, she couldn't help but receive a cold chill running down her spine. She wouldn't doubt that something was going on within the ruins, but it wasn't in her place to snoop.

"Hey, Farron!"

Turning around, her eyes blinked in surprise as a familiar man ran up to her with excitement plastered all over his face.

"Devon," she breathed out as he approached. "What are you doing here in Edge?"

He smirked along with a shrug. "Took the day off. Decided to come visit you."

Lightning smiled at how happy-go-lucky he appeared to be. Though he was a bit impulsive in his actions, Devon wasn't such a bad guy. "What's your angle here?" she asked with a coy smile, never intending any malicious intent.

Devon shrugged. "So, you hungry?"

Patting her stomach, Lightning contemplated for a moment, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. "I have room for something," she said while stifling a chuckle.

Together, they headed to the local coffee shop, and Devon pointed out random jokes at the choices made available, causing Lightning to never stop smiling. When he put his arm on her shoulder for playful support, she didn't reject it; there was a childlike aura coming from him that she could barely recall from her childhood. Even when his sudden chumminess raised some alarms in her head, Lightning embraced this warm feeling too much for her to notice.

When they came out with their orders, Jane and the first squad of Midgar Area Patrol strolled by, their attention immediately captured by the sight of the pair.

"Captain Farron," Jane greeted with a salute. Lightning nodded.

"Everybody doing okay?"

"Yes. Are you training a new recruit?" Her eyes flickered to Devon with curiosity as he casually chuckled next to Lightning. Likewise, the rest of the first squad didn't exactly feel like greeting the new man with open arms.

Lightning let out the tiniest of laughs, almost sounding unbelievable. "No, this is Devon of Junon Patrol. We met at that meeting a few weeks ago."

Jane nodded slowly, and the rest of the team behind her gave each other quick silent whispers. Devon's smirk, the tiniest hint of a sneer in his eyes, and his attitude weren't getting him any points for their appreciation. He may have been fooling Lightning's eyes, but the rest of them could clearly see what was being kept from her.

"Nice to meet you all," he said too cheerfully. "It's great to meet Captain Farron's excellent team. You almost look as good as Junon's division." As the others gave an awkward recognition, Jane sarcastically smiled at him before going on her way to continue her patrol. Truth be told, she had been getting an awkward vibe from this Devon person Lightning had been talking to for weeks on end. He even had the nerve to call while she was on duty, and she didn't think twice about answering. Jane started to get worried but didn't know how to approach her direct superior. Dread began to wash over her: if he bothered to actually come all the way to Midgar just to meet her, he was definitely up to no good.

Looking back over her shoulder, she saw Devon and Lightning chattering away, mostly him rambling through the conversation as she quietly listened. It looked like she really didn't expect him to be there to begin with, but she was just enjoying the company. When his arm coolly went around Lightning's shoulders, that single gesture became the final straw. Jane had been through rough times in her life, and she had met more than enough people like Devon to know that he was part of the wrong kind of crowd to hang with.

She quickly turned at one corner, causing her group to watch her curiously.

"Hey, Jane. Where are you going?" Sage called out.

Jane stopped in her tracks and turned back to them with hard eyes. "7th Heaven. I gotta help the captain."

* * *

At first, it worried him how he couldn't find Lightning on his way back to the bar. Before his thoughts got out of hand, however, Cloud calmly reminded himself that she was probably covering the other half of Edge that he didn't pass through. He chuckled as he realized how silly he was becoming – Lightning was a friend, not a child who needed to be looked after every time.

As he dismounted Fenrir and kicked out the kickstand, Cloud heard stampeding footsteps and turned to see WRO troops coming from the plaza.

"Jane!" some of the men cried out to the woman who seemed to speed straight toward Cloud with wide eyes. Skidding to a stop in front of him, Jane bent over and steadied her hands on her knees as she took deep breaths.

Meanwhile, Cloud awkwardly watched her in surprise; it was extremely rare for him to be consulting with WRO troops without Lightning present. "…Jane, right?"

She stood back up and squinted at him through one eye. The run seemed to have taken a lot out of her, and he wondered what she was rushing for. "Mr. Strife, are you busy?" she asked hastily as the other WRO troops arrived.

"Not really. Why?" His brows knitted together instantly, paranoia filling his mind. "Is Lightning okay?"

"Jane!" Sage and the other member caught up with her and tugged on her arms. "What's gotten into you?"

She shook them off with a frustrated glare. "You may not have seen it, but _I_ did!" Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Cloud. "Some guy from Junon Patrol is here – he's hanging all over Captain Farron."

As anger and rage instantly swept over him, Cloud realized there was only one person who could fit that description. He charged through the WRO troops with an intensely creased forehead, his hand tightly clenched into a fist that shook to no end. Some pedestrians caught sight of him and wisely backed away, knowing that a pissed off Cloud should not be messed with.

Jane and Sage watched him with a mixture of wonder and fear. It was because he was strong that people decided not to get on his bad side, but they wondered what it was like to instigate his deeply buried emotions. The young Jane had a hunch that Cloud held Lightning in high regard, though she couldn't even imagine just how special she was to him.

"Do you really think it was okay to tell him?" Sage asked, suddenly thinking twice about Jane's actions. "I mean, it's not like they're actually…"

However, Jane childishly swatted his arm with a pout. "What are you, blind? Of course it is!" Her eyes then took on a forlorn appearance that came with a sad smile. "Captain Farron…she _needs_ Mr. Strife."

With a sigh, he conceded while scratching the back of his head. The situation seemed a bit cheesy for his taste, but Sage couldn't deny that what Cloud and Lightning shared was particularly obvious to everyone else but the two in question…and they just had to be together in some way or form.

* * *

His mind was in a flurry, refusing to think straight as he passed through the building and alleys that were stationed as an endless maze. Even when he bumped into people, Cloud didn't stop; his feet kept going to no destination in particular.

As he took off, Cloud tried to reason with himself – all he told her that night was to not go running to Devon. She wasn't. She was just hanging with him like any other friend, such as himself and Tifa, and she had assured that the guy was only on a friend level…

But that wasn't enough. He wanted Lightning out of Devon's reach, and though it was a selfish desire, he wasn't going to have it any other way.

Cloud got to the most developed sector of Edge, where the buildings were the tallest. Though not many pedestrians wandered around here, the WRO still had to patrol through its streets. The bustle of the city died down, and he slowed his pace as he listened for the slightest hint of trouble.

"Devon…stop!"

Picking up speed, he turned at countless sharp corners. The commotion started to get louder, and his breath grew aggravated with every passing second. At the final moment, he skidded in his tracks, his eyes blazing at the sight before him.

Devon's arm was snaked around Lightning's waist possessively, and his other hand tilted her face upward to his. As his face drew closer, she growled and did her best to back away, but his grip and the wall behind her proved to be a challenge. Her hands attempted to push him away at the chest despite the limited space he allowed. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, for him to prove that he was a better person than he was being at the moment…

But that chance was taken away when he was ripped away from her, tossed to the side with a powerful force. As he hit his head on the ground, Lightning collapsed to her knees, heavily breathing from the frightening encounter. Looking up, she saw Cloud's back to her as he trudged his way to Devon; he got down on a knee while pulling Devon up by the collar. Before anyone could figure out what had happened, Cloud's fist began pummeling its way into Devon's face, a shrill cry released from the first strike.

"What the hell, man?!"

As soon as she was able to focus, Lightning's eyes widened while she struggled to get to her feet. "Cloud!" Her hands found their way to his shoulder, tugging to get him away from his victim, but it took some effort for Cloud to finally release Devon with a frustrated huff. The number he did on the WRO member was pretty harsh, for he ended up with a split lip, a terribly bruised eye, and a heavily fractured nose spilling with blood.

Lightning gripped Cloud's arm tightly as she looked up at him with worry, but he gruffly shrugged her off, his eyes furiously stuck on Devon groaning at his feet. "Get out," he growled beneath his breath. It was the darkest tone she had ever heard him use, and she wished she never heard it to begin with. "You're dead if you come near her again."

Devon peered out of his good eye while he held his delicate nose, stumbling to get to his feet. The moment he tried to release a glare, he was immediately shot down by Cloud's, which emanated with an enormous level of fury. With no other choice, he was left to stagger back to the main streets and toward the city limits, and Cloud bore holes into his back until he could no longer be seen.

Almost instantly, he turned to Lightning with the same expression, causing her to jump in her skin before looking away. "Don't go running to him," he said in a low voice; he barely struggled to keep it calm and even. "Do you remember when I said that?"

His words stung, and it didn't help when Lightning felt the need to defend her case somehow. "He didn't…He just suddenly became a different person." Clenching her fist tightly, she chastised herself for not seeing it sooner, or else she wouldn't have gotten into such a mess and involved Cloud.

"And why is that? Let me guess – he spat out a bunch of nice words when you first met." He scoffed with a shake of his head. "You fell for it, didn't you?"

As the pain within her chest grew stronger, Lightning looked at him with frustration, and she wondered just where all this hostility came from. It wasn't in his nature, and she certainly wasn't expecting it. "Nothing wrong with trying to meet new people," she shot back.

Looking away for a short moment, he shook his head with disbelief before turning back to her, swinging his clenched fist like a madman. "Are you really so desperate of not being alone, that you would run to people like him?"

Like a wounded puppy, Lightning flinched back from the words; Cloud was quick to see how erroneous his choice of words was, but it was too late. His tense body instantly relaxed until a different kind of frustration settled in – one full of remorse and regret. Just before him, Lightning's eyes glistened in the dim alley, her forehead heavily creased as she took a heavy step away.

"I-I didn't—" He motioned toward her, raising a hand to try and explain, but she abruptly spun on her heel and refused to face him. Her hands curled into trembling fists, which shook with the rest of her body. Though the thought came to her many times in her stay on the Planet, Lightning never considered it as the truth – with Cloud, Tifa, and everyone else, she didn't have to dig up the inevitable sense of solitude from being in this new world. Trying to befriend more people wasn't just to feed that loneliness, was it?

But apparently, it was the wrong thing to do, according to Cloud.

"I'm sorry…" she heard him mutter, but at that point, his words no longer meant anything to her. All at once, the trembling stopped, and she stood in her spot with poise and dignity.

"Fine." Her even yet hard tone of voice worried him. When he tried to take a step forward, Lightning took note of this action and immediately also took a step, maintaining the distance between them. "No, I get it," she assured, and there was a hint of a scowl. "It's stupid for me to try and make a life for myself here…so might as well go back to where I started."

Without giving him a chance to speak, Lightning darted off in the direction she was facing, turning at the corner and disappearing from sight. Her feet accelerated to the highest speed they could possibly endure, and they brought her straight to the city limits and toward Midgar. Though she kept up a fast pace, it was hard to maintain with the heaving sobs barraging her chest. Lightning didn't expect those kinds of words to come from Cloud, the one she could trust the most on the Planet. She thought he understood how debilitating loneliness could be, but in the end, he abhorred that part of her…and she felt that all their times together were for naught.

Back in the alley, Cloud lowered his head as he clenched his teeth to no end. After ramming his fist into the wall next to him, he turned to lean against it while sliding down to the ground. Saying such a thing, especially after assuring her that she wasn't alone, was something only a hideous monster would spurt out. He ran a hand through his spiky hair and tried to pull out a handful, but it barely helped in reducing the pent up anger he directed at so many people. Plenty toward Devon, some toward Lightning…

But overall, most of it reflected back to him.

* * *

"You did what?!"

Cloud looked away as Tifa glared at him with disbelieving eyes. Brows knitted tightly together, she sighed and placed one hand on her hip and the other on her head. "Cloud, that was uncalled for."

"You think I don't know that?" he replied with a frown and unnecessary returning glare. "Anyway, did she ever stop by here?"

Tifa shook her head. "No…" Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her cellphone and quickly dialed Lightning's number. It didn't take long for the call to reach voicemail, and she snapped her phone shut with frustration. "She's not answering her phone, either."

Even when nothing was said, he could tell that much blame for Lightning's disappearance was on his part. The only time she wouldn't answer was when she was in the middle of a mission, and she'd promptly call back as soon as possible. Cloud wondered what was going through her head…but that made him worry even more.

Out of the blue, his phone rang in his pocket, alerting him of a text message. After flipping it open, he read it with surprised eyes before snapping it shut. "I know where she is," he said quickly, and he instantly raced back outside to his bike.

"Cloud," Tifa admonished as she quickly followed him. He hesitated and stopped in his tracks, already having an idea as to what she was going to say. "Lightning…she may want to still go home, back to Pulse. If she does, what will you do? She'll spend the rest of her days running from us, looking for a way back. Do you want her to leave?"

In all honesty, he had never given that thought a possibility. It wasn't that he was ignorant, but because he could not imagine life in Edge to be the same without Lightning. Every time he glimpsed into the future, whether it was far or imminent, she was there with Cloud, living contently just like any irreplaceable friend.

But she was more than irreplaceable. Lightning was someone he absolutely cannot lose.

Without another word, Cloud jumped onto Fenrir and sped toward the setting sun in the direction of Midgar. Tifa held her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun's rays as she watched him take off, biting her lip as she prayed that he would do what's right.

* * *

She angled her head up to the broken ceiling, hoping for some miracle to reveal itself. If something had brought her to this exact location, it must still be there to take her back.

Searching the waters and back room did nothing. No matter what she did, there was no magical portal or secret code to get back to Pulse. Like before, Lightning was stuck on the Planet, only this time she had to depend on herself.

'_No,'_ she told herself, clenching her hand into a tight fist. _'I need to get out. There's…There's nothing for me here.'_

Though the water was freezing as she stood in the middle of the pond, Lightning collected some in her hands and splashed it onto her face, shaking her out of her funk. It helped relieve the salty tears threatening to fall down her cheeks and reminded her to keep going. Besides, she had a goal to complete soon before anyone realized where she was.

But then she heard it: footsteps coming down the center aisle behind her. Turning around, her eyes widened as she recognized the figure in the darkness.

"Vincent."

Even when his cloak concealed the lower half of his face, the red cape and gold gauntlet were enough to prove his identity. Lightning could never forget the familiar image in her memory that he portrayed, though she couldn't recall where she had met him before.

Vincent stood at the edge of the pond, in front of the first pew, and glanced down toward her. "Aren't you feeling a little cold in there?" he asked in his deep and distinct voice.

Hesitant at first, she finally decided to pull herself up from the waters and stand at the end of the center aisle, wringing her red cape to dry. "What are you doing here?" Her tone sounded despondent, but he didn't question it.

"I came over to investigate. Been hearing rumors about strange sounds coming from Midgar…though I'm sure they're not from this church."

"So then why are you _here_?" she asked with hostility. It was clear he didn't deserve a verbal lashing, but since a few hours ago, Lightning had been in one of the most irritable moods she remembered being in. It was difficult for her to focus when she trekked to Midgar from Edge, avoiding the usual WRO patrol routes and shutting her cell phone off.

Vincent only took a small glance before letting out the smallest scoff. "I guess something _did_ happen."

Gritting her teeth together, Lightning sighed before dropping to sit on the floor, propping one knee up close to her chest. Controlling her anger wasn't as easy as she thought it was going to be, or so she thought she could from her experience as a l'Cie.

"Midgar's no place to just wander around," he continued. "I'm surprised that you would come here, to this church."

Her face dropped as she looked back to the water. "…It was here…where I first came to the Planet. Something brought me here and took me away from Pulse. My friends and I – we stopped a great sacrifice of hundreds of people, and I thought we were finally safe." She then curled her hand into a tight fist, feeling her nails digging through the glove and into her palm. "But just when I thought it was over, some chaos dragged me out of that world and brought me here."

"Chaos?" she heard him ask.

"Or whatever the hell it was," she continued, frustration building up inside. "I don't know." Getting up on to her feet, Lightning paced over to the other end of the pews. "My sister, my friends, a whole new part of my world that I had yet to see…I had to leave it all behind." With an agitated growl, she kicked a worn out wooden chair by her feet, making it crash against a large pillar and split into hundreds of pieces.

There had to be a reason for her presence on the Planet. After everything she had been through – becoming branded, striking back against the Sanctum, saving Cocoon from crashing onto Pulse – it was hard to believe that anything was "just a coincidence" anymore. Of all things that could have happened to Lightning, she ended up in a whole new place, with no knowledge of it or anything associated with it, and it was like walking into a mine field with no weapon blindly.

"Why am I even here?" she asked Vincent, turning to him and raising her voice. "If there's nothing for me—"

"You're here for a reason."

His simple answer caught her off guard; the words tugged on the smallest, most delicate thread of hope she had left, but Lightning saw it as useless to give it a chance.

"And what's that?" she replied, deciding to allow Vincent the benefit of the doubt.

He took a step closer to the pond, crouching down and lightly trailing his fingers across the surface. Ripples appeared and dispersed outward, heading toward the large sword piercing the fallen pillar on the other side of the altar.

"This water…it's a Lifestream reservoir. When someone dies, their essence joins the Lifestream that courses through the land; we call it 'returning to the Planet'."

Lightning looked at the water in awe. Though she had been curious about the mysterious substance, she never thought it would take on such a simple form.

"A good friend returned to the Planet two years ago, and she had a special birthright that involved being one with the current that sustains the world."

"So now that she's part of the Lifestream, she's working some ancient magic," she speculated as Vincent straightened back up.

"You could put it that way." As he turned to Lightning, she noticed the deep red shade of his eyes, and she could see the struggles he had endured throughout his life. It seemed like there were so many, it was impossible to fit into his young age. "Lightning, she may be the reason why you're here."

Her eyebrows knitted together for a moment. "What?"

"Waking up here in the church – in the Lifestream – of all places on the Planet…"

It took a short moment to finally dawn on her. It couldn't have been just a coincidence to appear in the Lifestream pond, influenced by an old friend who was destined to become one with it. Her reason for being on the Planet wasn't just due to chance; Lightning wasn't torn away from her happiness for what she and her friends did back on Cocoon.

"You have a purpose here," Vincent assured. "You just have to find it."

All at once, her heavy chest felt relieved, and her drive was restored. She wasn't being punished, but rather given new kind of Focus. With a new task at hand, there was hope to do something to work toward a better future. Doom and despair wasn't her fate; she just had to work to find what she had to do.

"If I do, can I find the truth?" she asked in a soft voice. "Will I find a way back to my world?"

Vincent turned back to the pond, losing himself in thought for a moment. "You've left people behind in your world. If you go back, will you not be leaving the people here behind?"

She didn't think her presence would have made such an impact on their lives here. For the past three months, she was grateful for how Cloud, Tifa, and Reeve helped her adjust. Marlene and Denzel helped brighten up her days, and the WRO helped her return to the job she was most comfortable in. It pained her to leave them behind, after everything they had been through…but would they also miss her in return?

Would they be sad if she disappeared?

A loud rumble came from the front of the church, and headlights shot through the cracks to sweep across the walls. Lightning's heart immediately raced by the time an engine was cut. "Is that…?"

Vincent simply nodded, completely disregarding Lightning's shocked expression, as if he was expecting it from the beginning. "I texted Cloud a while back," he explained. "He must have been worried."

All she could think about was how to escape; she was far from ready to face him after what happened in Edge. After frantically shaking her head around, she noticed Vincent disappear from her side and hop along fallen debris to get up to the hole in the ceiling.

"Vincent!" she called out, but he had already made his way to the rest of Midgar, leaving her to face Cloud alone as he busted through the church's doors. Her emotions ranged from fear to rage, and it even frustrated her as to how his presence made a huge impact on her.

"Lightning," he breathed out with relief. As soon as he moved to step toward her, Lightning's face contorted into a glare before she followed Vincent's footsteps and jumped upon the fallen stones and pillars to reach the top of the church. "Wait!"

She was quick, but he caught up to her speed in no time. Scaling the rubble with larger jumps, Cloud nimbly balanced himself on the beams and took careful leaps to grab her by the elbow.

"Listen to me for a moment," he urged, but all he got was resistance. Lightning tried to wrench her arm free while doing whatever it took to keep her balance, for one wrong move could send them both crashing into the pews below.

Once she was able to get her arm loose, she restarted her goal to get as far away from Cloud as possible. If she could, she wanted to cross the ocean to the Western Continent – anything would do to make sure he wasn't going to be on her mind anymore. Every memory and happy thought Lightning shared with Cloud twisted in her heart like a knife, and she wanted to do whatever it took to stop that pain.

By the time she got to the rickety beam at the top, Cloud managed to catch up with her again. His hands clutched onto her arms, for he knew they were in a dangerous position at the moment.

"Stop," he begged.

Lightning ceased her squirming for a moment to glare into his eyes. "Why? To rub in more about how alone I am? You didn't need to come and remind me!" She tried to give one last effort to free herself, but it backfired as her balance was lost. Stumbling on the thin beam, her body wobbled to the side, throwing her out of the church and toward the ground.

The impact of hitting the concrete didn't surprise her as much as the sound of another figure falling alongside her. Lightning was glad she didn't sustain any serious injury, meaning it was safe to quickly get back up on her feet and glare at Cloud next to her. As he observed her to check for injury, he refused to take into account the clear chagrin aimed toward him.

"Leave me alone," she growled before setting off to nowhere in particular, so long as she could put distance between them. She couldn't bear to look at him and summon the strong pang in her chest, even though somehow, her body reacted differently than what she wanted it to do. It took a lot of effort to keep the scowl from disappearing; regardless of what he had to say, Lightning believed it was for the better – that it was easier – to keep Cloud on her bad side, or else everything would fall apart.

"That's not what you want," Cloud shot back, and she froze in place. "I can tell. Even if you walk away right now, that anger's not gonna disappear. You're pissed at me – I get that." He carefully stepped toward her, hoping she wouldn't suddenly take off on him. Since that afternoon, he blamed himself for driving her away. After getting his chance to finally talk to her, Cloud had to choose his words right…or else she would be out of his reach forever.

By the time he was inches away from her, the trembling shivers around her body were visible, yet there was no attempt to try and physically comfort her. Cloud grimaced at the sight – even when she tried to maintain a strong front, her emotional resolve was still a mess because of him.

"Lightning," he let out in an aggravated whisper. "What I said back there…I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to say you were alone. It's just…he made me so angry. Seeing him do that to you…"

Clenching his fist tightly, he worked to not let the memory control his temper. If anything, he wanted to find Devon and beat him up some more…but it wasn't in his place.

"Cloud." Lightning still kept her back turned to him. With a voice no longer firm, she had to make an effort to say the words that had been plaguing her mind since talking to Vincent. "If…If I disappeared…would it make you sad?"

She wanted to believe there was still a place for her in 7th Heaven, a life where she could call Cloud, Tifa, and the others her family. All this time, Lightning yearned for a home to take root in, even if it would never include her sister and friends back on Pulse. Though she said she wanted to keep finding a way home, it felt wrong to just up and leave everyone here.

Cloud was her anchor to the Planet, and it was up to him whether or not Lightning should stay. She had made it a personal goal to see him happy, and therefore a personal crime to ruin such happiness with her own wishes. Despite her desire to go back to the way things were, she wanted to hear it straight from him.

She heard him walk closer, stopping less than an arm's length away. A gentle hand found its way on her shoulder; Lightning's heart raced thinking about what his answer would be. One word was all it took to grab a hold onto her and pull her back to the life she didn't regret giving up her old one for.

"Yes."

The sincerity in his response was enough to demolish her walls, and the tears refused to be held back anymore. Lightning spun around and buried her face into his chest, her fingers tightly clutching onto his black shirt. For the whole day, the strain between her and Cloud was unbearable. He was right – she didn't want to be alone. Ever since he opened her eyes just hours ago, Lightning desperately searched for some alternative to hide the pain, to find a place where she didn't have to rely on others. It was a difficult road to travel, but she persevered until the last thread of hope was left.

But his presence freed her. The loneliness barely existed when Cloud was by her side, and it made her want to smile with hopes for an actual future. As long as he wanted her there, Lightning felt willing to keep trying to live life on the Planet…and decided to do her best to overcome the loneliness and solitude that she sometimes built up within herself.

He had to refrain himself as his arms wrapped around her trembling form. Though Cloud convinced himself to not let her become a big part of his life, he realized that he allowed Lightning to become so from the beginning. Every day was a usual frustrating routine: get closer to her, yet shove her back at the end of the day.

Did he have a right to keep her like this? One slip up on his part, and Lightning could be in danger. Even when he forgave himself for past failures…

Cloud had to give up this one chance of happiness to keep her safe.


	12. I Won't Leave

**I Won't Leave**

Marlene never liked storms. Back in Midgar, the slums were always so dry and desolate, protected by the upper plate, that no one really knew any other kind of weather. She was glad to know what it was like to breathe in fresh air once everyone moved to Edge, but rain and thunderstorms kept her up all night unless someone was with her to calm her down.

And tonight was one of those nights.

"It's okay, Marlene," Denzel said as he sat by her on her bed. He didn't mind the ruckus storms made at night, but he was equally lacking in rest when they came, for it was up to him to calm Marlene down. She curled herself into a tight ball, pulling her knees close to her chest to stifle the whimpers.

Gently, their door opened, and Tifa appeared with concern washed over her face. "Is she scared again?"

Denzel nodded. "It also got kinda cold in here."

She nodded back with a smile. "All right, I'll be back with extra blankets." As she turned to head for the cabinets, Tifa noticed Lightning's door slightly open, as well as the lamp by her bed still on. Angling her head so she could peer in, she saw Lightning herself wide awake, sitting up on her bed and staring out the window opposite the door.

After making the shortest of calculations in her head, Tifa sighed and shook her head with a smirk. There was only one explanation for Lightning to be restless tonight of all nights. She had already slept through other storms while she was here on the Planet, and they were never a problem for her.

Earlier that morning, Cloud promised he would be back from his delivery while everyone was already asleep. The delivery to Gongaga had to be scheduled on time with the ferries between Junon and Costa de Sol, but the last ship back from the beach arrived in Junon just when the storm began to pick up. If he decided to drive over the mountains to make the trip faster, Cloud had to face the bitter winds and freezing rain, not to mention the natural dangers waiting in the mountains.

Even though he gave his word to be back, Lightning couldn't sleep. She didn't even tuck herself in bed and instead just directly sat on top, waiting for the moment he came back. With every loud rattle of the windows, her worry shot up tenfold. It didn't matter to her that she was sleep-deprived, though it did worry Tifa as to how Cloud's absence affected her.

Tifa glanced toward the clock as she was coming back up the stairs with extra blankets, and her lips curled downward into a frown. _'Cloud…'_ Looking back to Lightning's room, she saw that the light was still shining through the cracks of the door, and she breathed out a heavy sigh. Even when it was long past midnight, the young soldier paid no mind to the fact that she had work in the morning – all she could think about was getting some news about him. Making a call would have been useful if the storm hadn't been screwing up all the signals, and they definitely wouldn't work as well in the mountains.

Another thirty minutes passed, and Lightning still couldn't relax. With a long sigh, she reached toward the nightstand and sifted through the drawer to find her WRO notes, hoping to eventually tire herself out. She read through the reports submitted by her squad members, each of them detailing their patrols in Midgar Area. What caught her eye was how the destroyed city of Midgar came up almost everywhere – most of her subordinates reported hearing strange sounds coming from the ruins, just like how she heard the faint cries blowing through the wind a few weeks back.

There was only one time when she brought up Midgar to Reeve, and yet he replied that they didn't have the jurisdiction to go deep into the ruins, only around it. He told her Shinra's old president labeled much of the upper plate parameters as off-limits; instead of dampening her curiosity, it made Lightning even more intrigued about the mystery surrounding the city.

Something caught her eye back at the nightstand, and she slightly turned her head to see the earring Cloud had given her at the Gold Saucer. Lightning's heart raced just thinking about what happened that night – the strange pang that appeared in her chest decided to crawl back in, and before she knew it, she yearned for him to be back sooner.

An agitated sigh escaped her lips. _'No!'_ she internally scolded herself. Those feelings had no right to be there, but time and again, they would come back just to taunt her. Cloud was a good friend who she was eternally grateful to, but did she really have to put him in such high regard? There was something about him that stood out from all the other men she had met before, even the ones back on Cocoon. When no one else could crack her cold and distant shell, he was able to in no time at all. His kindness amazed her on countless occasions, but it made her wonder if it was just in his nature…or perhaps he held her in special regard as well.

The sound of the front door closing caught her attention, and Lightning bustled to put the reports and the earring into the drawer before opening her door. Cloud appeared in the hallway after trudging up the stairs, his back turned to her door as he headed to his own room.

"Cloud!"

He turned to face her with surprise, his arm reaching over his chest to clutch onto his right shoulder. Even though it was pouring outside, his face was still smudged with dirt, and his clothes appeared a little worn out from the weather. Lightning observed his condition worriedly before stepping out of her room and closing her door behind her.

"Lightning." With slightly knitted brows, he quickly turned to check the clock before facing her again. "What are you still doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she replied while folding her arms in front of her chest. The synthetic capri pants did little to warm her up now that she was out of her room, but she was glad she thought of wearing a long sleeve. "The storm…" Her voice trailed off as she paid more attention to how he delicately held his shoulder, and the slightest movement seemed to make him wince. "What happened?"

Cloud exhaled through his nose as he grimaced. "There was a landslide in the mountains." He saw the shock wash over her face, and she quickly went around him to lift his hand and observe the injury. "I managed to get out, but well…it wasn't easy."

Inhaling sharply, Lightning grimaced at the gash running diagonally from his trapezius muscle to his deltoid. Most of the blood washed away in the rain, but once he entered the bar, it began leaking once again. "Damn. You're gonna need stitches."

He turned to face her and shook his head. "I'll be fine—"

"Just wait in your room," she interrupted, refusing to let him slip away without proper treatment. "I'll get a towel and a kit." As she went to go downstairs, Cloud sighed with defeat. He didn't plan on bothering her so late at night with his wound, but like before, it was hard to change her mind once she was determined on something.

Once he was in his own room, he stripped himself of his soaked attire and changed into sweats, leaving his shirt off so Lightning didn't have trouble dressing the gash. She entered his room with the necessary materials along with a bottle of whisky she pulled off the shelves. After setting them on his nightstand, Lightning pulled him over to his bed, with Cloud following along with a reluctant attitude.

"You really don't have to—" He started to object, but one look from Lightning over her shoulder told him that it was pointless. A warm smirk graced her features, causing his heart to skip a small beat. When she offered him the towel, he used it to dry off his hair and tossed it aside.

"Yes, I do," she emphasized, and she pushed him to sit at the edge of his bed. Once she took her spot behind him, she grabbed the bottle of whisky and held it out in front of him. "Here."

Cloud took the bottle and turned it around in his hand, cocking an eyebrow. "You really want me to drink this?"

"You got a better kind of pain relief?"

As he contemplated for a short moment, he finally conceded and took a swig, letting the alcohol settle in his body. Lightning peered over his shoulder as she cleaned the area around the gash; his expression seemed dull, and she guessed the whisky was kicking in properly. "Just relax," she whispered after stringing the needle. Her hands firmly adjusted his shoulder to line the sides of the gash properly, and that was when she admired how well-toned his muscles were. Lightning was glad he wasn't able to see her rosy cheeks, and she cleared her throat before starting.

Cloud's deep breaths could still be heard despite how hard he worked to keep them quiet. As she worked, Lightning grimaced at how he was able to get himself hurt like this. "It would have been better if you just stayed the night there." Right after she spoke, she noticed how Cloud's figure went rigid, and silence fell between the both of them. She slowed her pace, wondering if she inadvertently touched on a sensitive subject.

"Gongaga…holds some memories for me," Cloud murmured. "Memories that I didn't want to remember by sticking around." After Meteor was stopped from destroying the Planet, he made the choice to face his past and tell the Fairs of their son's fate. Though they were grateful for his honesty and friendship, he couldn't stand the look of despair on their faces, and it drove him deeper into the guilt that lasted for two years. "Besides, I didn't want to take long in getting back here. I heard that Devon guy is still part of WRO."

Lightning scoffed and cocked an eyebrow. "What? You thought he'd come back to Edge after you practically throttled him?"

"Just wanted to be sure," he replied, finding a way to defend himself.

With a shake of the head, Lightning continued patching him up. "He hasn't tried to talk to me since then. At least he's smart." In fact, she had half a mind to beat him up herself if he ever tried contacting her again. It still made her smile thinking that Cloud was going to be there for her, and that thought in turn made her feel even more accepted into the family at 7th Heaven.

When she saw him take a large swig of the whisky, her mouth slightly hung open for a small second. "Easy there, tiger. I'm almost done."

Cloud looked over his shoulder in surprise. "You work pretty fast," he commented.

She smirked. "Back in Guardian Corps, it was required that everyone learned the standard medical procedures. Of course, they never bothered to check if we retained the skills, but I stuck close to the medical unit."

Once she finished, Lightning snipped the end of the thread and placed the needle back into the kit. As she observed her work, her eyes drifted down to the middle of his back to notice a thin scar running down vertically. She recognized this kind of mark on the skin, making her lightly gasp as her eyebrows knitted together. "Someone stabbed you here…?" Unconsciously, her fingers dragged their way down the scar, goose bumps rising across her back when she thought of how he procured it.

Cloud felt his own goose bumps rise when he felt her touch, and his body tensed in an effort to keep his arms where they were. He never knew Lightning's touch could make him feel this way; his hands were tightly clutched into fists, and he steadied himself with a deep breath.

"Yeah," he replied in a voice he worked to keep even. "From the front, though. Six years ago, my village was destroyed by one of the strongest people on the Planet."

Lightning remembered hearing this story before, and when she put the pieces together, the air was swept out of her lungs in an instant. "You mean…Sephiroth attacked you?"

He cocked an eyebrow at how quick she caught on. "So someone _did_ tell you." Once her fingers slowly drifted from his scar, long seconds of silence passed between them, making Cloud wonder what exactly was running through her head. He made the smallest of glances over his shoulder, and it was enough to see Lightning's grief-stricken face, tears close to falling down her cheeks.

"Hey, Lightning." He looked at her in shock as he turned to face her, his hands on her shoulders. When she didn't appear to respond, just staring confused into space, Cloud gave her a shake. "Lightning!" She finally blinked, which let a few tears fall down as she snapped back to reality. Something was hitched in her throat, and she worked to clear it up and fix herself with a frown.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Lightning shook her head as she quickly wiped the tears away. "It's just…" She struggled to put it into words, for in her mind, the concept was almost unfathomable. "You've been through so much…" He had lost loved ones, experienced terrible times in his life, and endured heavy tolls on his body. It was hard for her to understand how Cloud could live every day so humbly and act like such an average Joe. "How are you able to keep on going?"

With a tiny smile, he took her hand into his, giving a small grip as he looked into her eyes. "Because I have friends looking out for me…waiting for me. You, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel - I always want to come back to the people I cherish."

The butterflies in her stomach went crazy. His words were like treasure to her, and they kept replaying in her head. As much as he was special to her, Lightning was ecstatic that he felt close to the same about her. She never thought someone on the Planet would be so important to her, and yet there he was, right in front of her. Her hand returned the grip, and she wished to never let it go.

Lightning's eyes turned away as she thought of a way to stop the urge to explode with all the feelings she had inside. "Cloud…"

As he watched her with curiosity, she turned back with a warm smile that mesmerized him. "I wanna thank you for helping me. If I had never met you, I wouldn't have survived on my own. Honestly, I would have gone back to being a distant and selfish bitch." They chuckled together at her choice of words. "But you've been there for me every time. Thank you."

A small blush reached his cheeks as he gave an awkward smirk. "It's nothing." Since the beginning, he felt the unexplainable urge to be there for Lightning every step of the way. Even after he helped her back on her feet from being torn apart from her world, Cloud would be constantly irritated if he didn't see her or hear her voice every so often.

"I mean it," she said with earnest, and an internal battle ensued. Just what was she feeling whenever she was with Cloud? Despite the effort to make a resolve, Lightning could no longer combat the emotions that threatened to change things between them. She prayed that things would turn out for the better. "Like how you've been looking out for me, I wanna be there for you."

After their eyes seemed to meld together for an immeasurable amount of time, Cloud began to lean forward, his face drawing closer to hers. Lightning's chest felt worn out from the rapid beating of her heart, but she couldn't move away.

It surprised her when he lowered his head more than expected and instead flopped onto the bed, his head resting on her lap. Her eyes widened, frightened that something was wrong with him. "Cloud?"

In response, he let out a heavy sigh, and his head nestled its way into her lap. "It's comfortable," he drawled while the rest of his body relaxed across the bed. His hand did all it could to hold onto hers, though it was obvious he was drifting out of consciousness fast. "Maybe it would have been better if you didn't give me that whisky…so just stay here. Don't leave…" With a slight turn of his head, Cloud's eyes fluttered closed, and his grip slightly loosened.

Nothing could stop her free hand from running through his spiky hair like before; she watched his sleeping face with glistening eyes as she gripped his hand tightly, refusing to let it go. How could she continue the internal fight when it was so easy to fall into this situation? If keeping him at a distance was the right thing to do, this would have never happened. The more she thought about everything, the more Lightning wanted to be with Cloud.

She bent down and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek before falling over to lie down on the bed, her body arching over Cloud's. Their intertwined hands lay in between them while her free hand made soft strokes across his cheek. For the rest of the night, her eyes never left Cloud; Lightning wanted to enjoy every moment of this night, for she never knew if she was going to get similar chance again. His sleeping face was calm and serene, and she wished he could be in this state of mind rather than worry and dread over things in his life.

"I won't leave," she said in a whisper. "I'll stay here, with you." The thoughts of returning to Serah and Pulse were far from her mind and replaced with a future where Cloud was by her side, holding her hand like how he was now. She wanted to stick around and witness the more kindhearted acts he did for the world around him. Moreover, she wanted to help him spread the good he's done to the rest of the Planet; if he could continue like this, perhaps he could truly put his dark past behind him, and Lightning would be able to see the warm smile she always wanted him to have.

She allowed the heavy feeling in her chest to envelop her, and relief washed over her to allow a smile ghost her lips as she continued to watch Cloud. _'Is this…love?'_


	13. Enough With the Nice Act

**Hope everyone had a good Black Friday. To end your superb day, here's another update! Let's hope you enjoy this one ;)**

**Enough With the Nice Act**

It was just another regular night at the bar with the usual patrons sitting at their usual tables with their usual drinks. Lucky for her, some of Lightning's squad decided to visit again and relieve some of her boredom, but tonight, her mind seemed more far away than most times. Even with her squad chattering away in front of her and asking her routine questions about the fieldwork, her eyes always deviated to the main doors, waiting for a particular mass of spiky blond hair to come through.

"…Right, captain? Captain!"

The loud voice rang in her ears, and Lightning shook her head before refocusing her vision on her team. "I'm sorry. What?"

A raven-haired girl named Rose chuckled at how lost her captain appeared. "We were just talking about the organization's trip to Costa del Sol. You _are_ going, right?"

As soon she remembered the announcement, Lightning rubbed her forehead and sighed while she closed her eyes. "Oh, yeah. That." Just a few days ago, Reeve decided to give Midgar Area Patrol a small vacation to Costa del Sol, the #1 resort town on the Planet. She wasn't used to taking days off, what with struggling to support herself and Serah; her commitment in Guardian Corps was unrivaled. "I don't know. Maybe."

At that, her team groaned and whined. They were aware of what kind of person Lightning was, and it was a long shot to hope that she was thinking about taking a small break from the soldier life.

"Captain Farron, you need to relax every now and then," Vic said while leaning back in his chair. "And a boyfriend, while you're at it." The last remark went too far, in the eyes of the girls on the squad. Rose and Jane, who sat at his sides, pouted and gave him loud smacks, prompting him to fix his seat back to normal. He winced, but the complaint was immediately silenced by their glares.

His words had an unusual effect on Lightning, for it suddenly brought on a void in her heart she never expected to appear. Even when Serah was dating Snow, it never occurred to Lightning that she could have been in a similar situation with a man. Dedicated to her goals, she rarely ever considered what life would be like if she could have lived on normal teenage terms: enjoy the adolescent norms and worry about what she used to think were trivial things. Would she have been any different if she allowed a man to become a part of her life?

"Ignore him, captain," Jane insisted. "It's not like he was ever in a stable relationship himself." As Vic shot her a dirty look, everyone else laughed, even Lightning. However, the topic still had her thinking – if an ideal guy was going to be with her, he definitely had to be like—

'_Cloud.'_

That stormy night came back, and her cheeks took on a faint pink tint. Her feelings were Cloud had never been greater than that night, and they surprisingly cleared things up in her head. Cloud was special – too special to be considered just a friend, and Lightning was sure it would be extremely difficult to change. If she was to be with anyone, he would have to be like Cloud…

But how often would she find someone _like_ him? Even if such a person was possible, in her eyes, all Lightning would see is Cloud.

As she sighed heavily, she noticed an elderly couple curiously approach Tifa at the bar. The man suddenly grinned and laughed aloud. "Lil' miss Tifa Lockhart!"

Tifa set down the plates she was carrying and looked at the couple hesitantly before her eyes widened. Gasping, she brought a hand to her mouth, but it didn't hide the smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Garrison!" With a bright grin, she shot her hand out across the counter to shake the couple's hands. "I haven't seen you since—"

"Nibelheim," Mrs. Garrison finished with a chuckle. Lightning took a wild guess and labeled them as fellow natives of Nibelheim, presumably before the town's destruction. Looking at them, she was glad that such a horrendous event didn't scar their lives forever.

"Well now, look at you," Mr. Garrison cooed, eliciting a bashful smile from Tifa. "All grown up; I'm surprised you're a barmaid instead of in a fight, like how Zangan taught ya."

Tifa shrugged like an innocent child. "Oh, I still roughen up here and there."

"You hangin' on any man's arm yet?" Mr. Garrison asked with a smirk. "What about that Cloud fellow?"

As she felt warm inside at the sight of this reunion, Lightning's skin went cold at the mention of Cloud, and the most obvious assumption came to her, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. A part of her wanted to think she got the wrong idea, but how else would anyone think of that question? Now that she considered it, it was more than plausible for Tifa and Cloud to have a stronger relationship than mere friendship.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Tifa frowned as her forehead creased. "Mr. Garrison—"

"Man, that kid was all you talked about," he chuckled.

His wife pressed her hands upon her cheeks, unable to fight back the fond memories she had of them as young teens. "Oh, you had the most adorable crush on him, even after that accident on the bridge. And who could forget that promise at the well?"

It was more than enough to plunge her heart into darkness. She was foolish to think nothing had happened between Tifa and Cloud. If what they said was true, then the foundations of their relationship were unbreakable, and nothing could slip past them. How could Lightning ever hope to be special to Cloud…when Tifa was so close, and she could never go away?

There was no competition. In the back of her mind, Lightning always knew there was a special connection between the two of them; she only wished that it wouldn't be true…

But what a selfish wish that was.

As she watched Lightning's expression turn blank, Tifa's forehead surely began to feel wet and clammy. Meanwhile, the Garrisons in front of her enjoyed the trip down memory lane, blind to the frantic look in the young barmaid's eyes.

"Everyone in the town believed you would marry him eventually and become the darn cutest wife for 'im," Mr. Garrison commented, and then intuition flickered in his eyes. "Say, he's living here with ya, ain't he? 'Strife Delivery Services'?" With that single speculation, the Garrisons came to the easiest of conclusions, making Tifa worry about what else Lightning would hear. She didn't want the misleading to get out of hand, but the damage kept coming, and it wasn't going to be stopped. "Well, _Mrs._ Strife, send ol' Cloud our best wishes."

They bustled out of 7th Heaven in their jolly way, unaware of the pain mustering in a certain someone. The rest of the WRO were alert enough to know how awkward things became for their captain, and silence fell over the table, afraid to see what expression Lightning wore on her face. As Tifa warily approached the table, her eyes glued themselves to Lightning's backside.

"Lightning, it's not what you think." She pressed her lips tightly together; it was bad to assume all of it as a lie, but it wasn't right to readily confirm it, either. "Yes, I did like Cloud when we were kids, but that was years ago. The only reason we're so close now is because of the incident and our past, but that's it!"

To her surprise, Lightning casually stood up from her seat and faced her with a gentle smile. "Tifa, it's fine. Why would I be bothered?" She let out a small chuckle that sounded so natural, there was almost no way it could have been forced. "I don't like Cloud that way. I never did."

Tifa and the WRO looked at her bewildered. Surely, their own eyes hadn't been deceiving them for the last three months. The nonverbal cues were more than enough to tell them of the attraction between the two, so it was impossible for Lightning's words to be true.

"What?" Tifa felt like shaking her head with denial. "Light—"

"No, really," Lightning nodded with a smile. "It's no big deal."

"It isn't…?"

"It's been awkward for you two since I came here, right? Sorry. I'll do my best to not get in your way from now on."

Rose stood up from her seat and looked at her captain with tormented eyes. "Hold on. Captain Farron-"

"Rose, it's fine," she said with a voice full of authority. When she gazed over at her subordinate, Rose had no other choice but to hold her tongue. Lightning always had the strong aura that could not be questioned, especially after all the efforts she gave for the squad.

When no one else decided to give a say, Lightning sighed and put her calm face back on. "I'm gonna call it a night," she announced. Her eyes swept over her team at the table with a small smile. "Make sure you guys report in on time."

She turned around and headed up the stairs, leaving Tifa and the WRO members to look after her worriedly. Though she told them all was fine and dandy, Tifa couldn't help but become frantic about how things were spiraling out of control. Her hopes of seeing Lightning and Cloud happy were in danger; as a friend, she couldn't just sit by and watch everything fall apart.

Tifa knew it would be inevitable for Lightning to find out about her old feelings for Cloud, but she wished it would have been in a better way – one where everything was already out in the open and she wouldn't have to feel so much guilt. She looked over to Rose and Jane, who frowned with worry that reflected hers.

Once she closed the door behind her, Lightning pressed her back against it and slid to the floor, hugging her knees close to her heavy chest. It was impossible to face Tifa after such an encounter. For a while, Lightning actually considered running to her for support, for help with the feelings that wouldn't go away.

But how could she…when Tifa and Cloud had already shared something so special before? If they still shared that bond to this day, then it was foolish to think that she could have anything close to that with Cloud. It was obvious the Garrisons' implication of them being married wasn't true….not yet, at least.

Even if she tried, Lightning would probably end up as a close second to her, and all those times she opened up to Cloud, hoping to trust him and bring him closer to her heart…only turned out to be one-sided.

Biting her tongue, she kept the suffocating sobs in while the tears endlessly spilled down her cheeks, only stopping when she fell on her bed from fatigue and stress.

* * *

Cloud didn't get as much sleep as he thought he would. When he came back close to midnight, a part of him expected Lightning to be there again, waiting for him to show up. Thinking about her brought the usual warmth to his chest…followed by the torment of the need to push her away. _'This isn't right,'_ he had to remind himself. _'It's for the better…' _Just keeping her by his side was enough; he couldn't risk hurting her if he allowed Lightning too close to his heart, but it didn't mean he had to let her go.

After stepping out of his room, he noticed Lightning's door slightly cracked open. She usually left it closed, especially when she was out on patrol. He took a small glance inside to find Lightning on her bed, fixing her boots on; taking a look over his shoulder at the clock, it was a few hours ahead of her regular work time. Cloud pushed the door open and looked at her with confusion.

"You're leaving pretty early," he commented.

Lightning strode over to close her window, deliberately avoiding his gaze. "Reeve asked me to check out Mt. Corel. People have been complaining about ruckus close to the old reactor."

Cloud's eyebrows knitted together in surprise. "What? How come you didn't tell me?"

"Do I have to?" she replied with acidity, her back still facing him. With her stiff posture, it was clear a foul mood was settling inside her. "It's none of your business."

Her cold words made the hairs on the back of his neck stiffen. "Light, what's wrong—"

"I'm fine." She spun on her heel and looked at him with a dark gaze. It reminded him of the first time they met each other…back when she was cold and distant. "Quit worrying about me."

As she strode past him to leave the room, she never bothered to take a second glance, to catch his eyes like he expected. Lightning had somehow slipped back into her tough front, fortifying her defenses with a mean streak without any kind of notice. Before she could go any further, Cloud spun around to grasp her arm and kept a tight grip. Her storming out was brought to a halt, yet she still refused to look him in the eye.

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't act this way," he shot back. "What's gotten into you?"

With a growl, she shoved him off and tossed a sneer over her shoulder. "Let go of me. People will start talking."

At that moment, Tifa walked out of her room, catching sight of the other two with surprise. Once her gaze locked with Lightning's, a look of remorse washed over her face, and her feet began moving their way toward the scene. Lightning knew how bad the situation was going to get; she turned her gaze back around with a taut jaw.

Even now, she felt like a third wheel that didn't know her place. In the end, she couldn't stick true to her objective – to not take his kindness for granted. How else would she think of his actions? Cloud had always been exceptionally kind to her in a way that no one would regularly be. In a single night, her emotions went from sorrow to rage, angered that the man had fooled her for so long.

Lightning hastily descended to the first floor and walked out of the bar, leaving Cloud to watch, even when she was out of sight. Though he was silent, millions of questions raced through his head; he was speechless at the sudden change he failed to see coming. _'…Is this the outcome I was looking for?' _For a while now, he considered taking it relatively slow. If he tried too fast to get close to Lightning, things would get out of hand and misunderstandings would never be taken back. He knew what was happening between them – the deep fervors told him that she was becoming an important person with no real logical explanation. In response, Cloud tried his best to maintain her friendship at a constant level…

But he never expected this.

"Cloud," Tifa murmured as she approached from behind. She wrung her hands endlessly with anxiety. "Last night—Wait!"

Before she could even begin, Cloud already spun around and stormed past her. He avoided her gaze in his typical manner as he went to his room and slammed the door behind him, making shivers run down Tifa's spine.

'_Now what…?'_

* * *

Being at the bar didn't help clear his mind; there were too many triggers to instigate the countless visions that tugged at his heart. At the tables, he'd see Lightning laughing along with him and everyone else in a game of poker. Behind the bar counter, he'd see her helping Tifa with supplies and cleaning up. Even when he was in his own room, he'd recall the night where Lightning gave him stitches and spent the night in silent bliss.

Each and every one of them added more weight to his shoulders, which didn't alleviate any of the frustration. Without a word, he slipped out of his room and drove out of the city limits, only one destination lingering on his mind. As he approached Midgar, he saw the slow but steady growth of nature among the wastelands. The Lifestream was finally pure and clean, yet it took a while for the Planet itself to become revitalized and return to the state the Cetra worked so hard to cultivate.

Cloud drove up one of the cliffs overlooking Midgar, where the amount of barren land gradually diminished and was replaced with more flowers and grass. Looking ahead, he spotted the familiar yellow flowers that never seemed to wilt or die, regardless of what weather or obstacle tried to beat them down. He parked his bike a few feet away and slowly approached the flowers with a pang of vexation and guilt. Just behind the flowers was the soft fissure where the Buster Sword once rested – a mark that plagued Cloud's mind for years.

The flowers that miraculously grew in the barren wasteland did nothing to lighten up his mood. Overlooking the Midgar ruins, Cloud was sure Lightning would never go there, not after Vincent ratted her out last time. Worry flooded his mind, but it was accompanied and weighed against by doubt.

"It's not working," he muttered, staring at the flowers as if he expected them to be listening. "I'm not fit to protect anyone…I can't let her get hurt because of me." With gritted teeth, he clenched his hands into tight fists, and it was barely enough to contain the rage. "How can I hope to protect her when I feel like one mistake could ruin everything?"

From the beginning, Cloud didn't have to hide all the time when he was with her. His pain and worries would always disappear when she came to his mind…but now, all she brought was a puzzle he had to solve by himself. Being closer to Lightning would create a warm light inside him, he thought. Was it possible to have her and give her happiness despite the karma that seemed to drown his life?

'_Zack…Aerith…'_

Something trotted toward him just at the end of his peripheral sight. Slightly turning his head, Cloud saw the gray wolf that hadn't appeared in so long – an old friend that seemed to lead him to the right path every time he was lost. While it curiously looked up at him, a strong wind picked up and blew around them; it howled in Cloud's ears and bit his skin, but he was more surprised at how sudden it was. The yellow flowers before him swayed until one of them finally let go and broke off, gently flying in the air. It seemed to gravitate toward him and float for the longest of seconds in front of his face. Mesmerized, he held out a hand as it calmly lay in his palm, and he carried it like a priceless gem.

His train of curious thoughts came to a halt when his phone notified him of a voicemail. Using his free hand to pull out his cell phone, Cloud quickly checked the message status…and furrowed his eyebrows with confusion.

"What the…?"

The date listed had long since passed – about two months before Lightning showed up in the slums' church. Thinking back, Cloud put the date as within the time he encountered Kadaj and his gang, but that was back when he had his old phone that he lost in the Forgotten City. How could he receive a voicemail from so long ago as if it was brand new, especially in a different phone?

Taking a chance, he played the message and brought the phone close to his ear, wary of the possibility that it could have all just been a figment of his imagination.

"_**I never blamed you…not once. You came for me – that's all that matters."**_

There was no way he could forget that voice, though it was impossible to be hearing it now of all times. His heart pounding in his ears, Cloud stared at the phone for a long moment, trying to put the pieces together.

"Aerith…" Shifting his gaze to the flowers, he finally understood what she meant in the message she waited so long for him to hear. "After everything I failed to do for you…you never held it against me." Without their acts of kindness, he never would have gotten over Zack and Aerith's departures from the world. Even though he had witnessed both events before his very eyes, it wasn't to say he had any control of what had happened. The long-lasting guilt was unnecessarily held onto, for Cloud couldn't see the light she offered to him when she came to help. Her presence wasn't only to help relieve him of the guilt...

But also to steer him onto a path for a happy future.

With a clear conscience, Cloud lightly smiled at the flowers. He didn't have to be afraid of the pain that was to come if he asked Lightning to stay by his side; so long as he had the will to protect her, it was more than enough.

His phone vibrated in his hand, and he noticed how he had missed so many calls from Tifa. Cloud grimaced at how lost he was in his thoughts, but what got his attention was the message she sent. Though it was short, it burned itself into his memory as he shoved the phone back into his pocket and rushed back to his bike. He knew for sure that Tifa would have said a lot more if he had answered his phone, but her text was more than enough to tug at his heart and send it into frenzy.

"_Lightning's missing."_

* * *

Tifa gnawed on her nail to no end, constantly huffing in frustration. She hoped that final text had gotten through to him, for she wanted to use the rest of her battery life to call Lightning.

Just thirty minutes ago, she was at her regular duty of preparing the bar when Reeve came through the doors in a hurry, already throwing her mind into uneasiness. "Where's Cloud?" were the first words to come from him, but Tifa had to disappoint him before receiving bad news.

"Lightning won't answer her calls. She was only supposed to take a walk on the trail to observe the land, so her phone should have had a signal all throughout the walk. We sent a team to search for her…but they were attacked."

Tifa gasped with fright, bringing a hand close to her lips. "You think Lightning…?"

"I'm not sure," Reeve replied with a shake of the head. "Luckily, the team fell back…but she's still out there."

"What if she fell somewhere?" Tifa speculated. "A place in the mountain where the reception is close to nothing?"

"It could explain why the calls aren't working." He ran a hand over his face – all these possibilities didn't make them feel any better about the situation. As Reeve and Tifa stood in dreadful silence, his phone rang in his pocket. "What is it?" he said into the receiver after pulling it out.

"Commissioner, Mr. Strife just boarded the chopper and demanded take off."

Reeve shot frantic eyes toward Tifa, who rushed toward him to listen more closely. "No. Wait until I get back. Stay on the ground." Despite his order, he still heard the propellers and machines starting up in the background. "Cloud!"

"Commissioner, we are flying toward Mt. Corel." After the last message, the line went dead, prompting Reeve and Tifa to rush out of the bar and down the street toward the chopper. They had reached the plaza when the chopper appeared above the buildings, zooming past them and to the west at a dangerous speed.

"Dammit," Reeve muttered.

Tifa looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "How did Cloud…?"

"The pilot is a WRO member – he knows about Lightning."

Biting her lip, she watched the chopper disappear over the horizon. Tifa wasn't sure if it was safe for Cloud to face Lightning alone, especially with the dark feelings still settling between them. Even if he found her, he was going to have to work to get through to her…

Or else he was going to lose her forever.

* * *

He had to move fast; the sun was quickly fading away, and there would be no way for him to search the mountain in darkness. Once the helicopter hovered low enough by the old reactor, Cloud easily jumped off and sprinted toward the old village, first reaching the decaying train tracks and rickety bridge. The monsters lurking around the corners were met by a single swipe of his main blade while he continued on, thinking of nothing else but finding a particular woman.

After crossing the bridge, the old village was in sight. _'Maybe they know about her.'_ Cloud held onto this bare thread of hope as he headed toward the Corel village…but an aggravated groan caught his attention just by the edge of the cliff. Instinctively, he pulled out the main blade at the ready, cautiously walking to the edge and waiting for the opportunity to strike. If it was the thing that attacked Lightning, it could have been after him as well.

A tuft of pink hair showed itself, and Cloud rushed over to see Lightning haul herself up with a painful groan. As he sighed with relief, he bent down and grabbed her arms to help her on her feet.

"Lightning! Are you hurt?"

Once she glanced up to see who helped her, sheer rage washed over her face before she moved her arms to shove him back, staggering in her attempt to do so. "I'm fine," she growled, turning away from him and heading to the bridge. "Stay back." His perplexed face didn't bother her as she turned. Despite her efforts to storm away, scaling up the mountain took all the energy out of her, and she began stumbling on her feet. Just when her knees gave out, Cloud rushed up to her side and held her arms again to support her.

"Take it easy," he murmured worriedly. "I'll help you to Costa del Sol—"

The cold shoulder was something he could manage, but he didn't expect the furious shove against his chest that was accompanied by the most aggravated snarl he heard coming from her lips. A mixture of rage and despair emanated from her eyes, and she couldn't look away from him even if she wanted to.

"Don't touch me!"

When she instantly turned back to continue her trek, Cloud couldn't control the vexation any longer. No matter what he tried to do, Lightning kept increasing the distance between them, shutting him down at every turn. How could it be that this was the same Lightning he had shared so much with, the one woman he felt he could be happy with for the rest of his life? Did she really hate him this much?

Running a hand through his hair, Cloud looked away before turning back, screaming into the dimming night. "Why do you keep pushing me away?!"

After she stopped at his words, Lightning turned back to him as she gritted her teeth. All she could see was red. "I can't stand you," she answered in a firm voice. "Everything you do…it confuses the hell outta me. Enough with the nice act – I don't need your sympathy."

With every passing second, he felt that she was drifting farther and farther out of his reach. If this continued on, all hope of getting through to her would be lost, and Cloud wouldn't be able to find his happy future. "My sympathy…? My helping you is out of pity?" His voice was soft yet irritated, as if she spouted out the most ridiculous assumption ever. He sauntered over to her, only stopping a breath's width away from her. As he observed her hard features, he couldn't help but marvel at the beauty that he finally realized she was blessed with. However, the face that always appeared in his mind was different from the one he was looking at.

"What else could it be?" she hissed, though he could hear a small break in her voice. "Open your eyes, Cloud. Everyone around us is talking nonsense…Things about us that aren't true."

With a frown, Cloud slowly shook his head. "Why would it matter?"

Scoffing with disbelief, Lightning turned to take a few paces down the bridge before spinning back on her heel. Her eyes glistened with hot tears, but she fought to keep them from falling. "'Why would it matter'?! You can't just toy with people's emotions like this! All this time, I truly felt that you…"

She bit her tongue from saying any more. Even when she was raging on, Lightning had to be sure to not reveal too much. Her hand clenched into a tight fist, but Cloud had already caught on.

"That I what?" he pressed with a hard voice, anxious to hear the end. When she quickly averted her glare, it was a clear enough sign that she held something back. "No, say it. I toyed with your emotions? Did I make you feel something? What was it?"

With an elusive growl, Lightning turned back around, refusing to continue the conversation. The longer it went on, the weaker her wall became, and it wasn't easy to build it back up. "Forget it. It's stupid, anyway."

"Lightning…" When he tried to reach a hand out, Lightning resumed her pace and went on her way to Costa de Sol, refusing to acknowledge him anymore. After all this, it seemed like Aerith and Zack's efforts to help him toward a happier future were to be in vain. Something had gotten into Lightning's skin, and he needed to figure out what it was before she decided to run from him for the rest of her life.

* * *

As the lights on the pier went out one by one, Lightning's eyes scoured the resort from the second floor balcony, watching the tourists chatter away in laughter and beer. When she and Cloud trudged in from the mountains, she immediately went to buy a pair of black short shorts and a beige tank top to change into after a long hot shower. The fall had left her muscles strained and sore; she felt somewhat relieved that the cool beach breeze relaxed most of the tension in her body.

The only thing in the way was a particular someone who stood just outside the room, peering inside as he held a phone to his ear.

"So that's what happened," Cloud grumbled into the receiver while running his hand over his face. Once the pieces fell into place, he suddenly felt like an idiot for letting the whole fiasco play out, rather than manning up and facing Lightning like he should have. "Thanks, Tifa…No, it's all right. I'll handle it…Trust me."

He hung up and tucked away his phone before entering. As Cloud crossed the room, Lightning refused to even acknowledge his presence and instead kept watching the coast.

"Tifa called," he said while joining her on the balcony. Even when he tried to catch a glimpse of her face, she turned away in silence. "She's wondering if you're okay. An old neighbor of ours came to the bar, right? Said some things about Tifa and me."

Though her back was still turned to him, Lightning's head tilted in his direction, confirming what he said as the truth. Cloud sighed heavily at the turn of events; if only he was there when the Garrisons visited, then the misunderstandings would not have gone out of hand.

"Lightning, that was all in the past. Ever since we met up in Midgar, we've only been childhood friends."

She forced a weak chuckle out, and heavy weights dropped down onto her chest. As the seconds ticked by, it was harder to just stand there and listen to him. His voice alone made her want to crumble into nothing.

"Doesn't change much," she let out in a strained voice.

"It doesn't?"

Turning on her heel, Lightning did her best to put her lips into a simple smile. "No. It's not like you really…" She caught herself and refused to speak anymore, though her eyes glancing toward Cloud's was going to make that effort difficult. Feeling a deep flush rise to her cheeks, Lightning turned away, working to keep the marauding thoughts out of her head. For a moment, she wished everything could just go back to normal – living the life in Edge with everyone else just like any other comrade.

But she knew it wasn't possible. The close proximity was going to be unbearable, especially after all that happened this day. No matter what, she was going to want Cloud for as long as he was in her reach, and the feelings weren't going to stop. They were going to break Lightning.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she lamented, knowing without a doubt that what she felt for Cloud was going to drive them apart. He was never going to choose her – that was what she believed. Fed up with her aching chest, Lightning retreated back into the room, quickly wiping the tears from her face. Before she could storm out to the hallway, however, something gripped her wrist and spun her body around to meet Cloud's scrutinizing eyes. She realized his hand latched onto her tightly, and when she tried to break free, it was no use…

Before she could voice any objection, her lips were crushed to silence by his.

* * *

:DDDDDDDDDDDDD


	14. About Time, Too

**About Time, Too**

"Doesn't change much," he heard her say weakly. Cloud looked at Lightning with a furrowed brow.

"It doesn't?"

When she turned around, he saw her smile just like any other day, as if they were having one of their normal conversations under normal circumstances. However, Lightning's damp eyes betrayed her as they brightly glistened in the moonlight. "No. It's not like you really…"

Even when she couldn't finish her sentence, Cloud knew the ending all too easily. It was what he worked so hard for her to say…for it was hard to admit it himself. For the past two years, he could never put his feelings into words; he didn't deserve the right to voice his desires, not after what he let Aerith and Zack endure.

But if Lightning felt the same, he didn't have to feel guilty about loving her from the moment she showed him her true colors. With every passing day, thinking of her put a smile on his face and a warm fire in his heart. Cloud fought the urge to just grab hold of her and keep her in his arms, and it seemed it was in his nature to deny his feelings, what with the guilty despair that remained in his heart.

The moment everything finally dawned on him, Lightning had already retreated back into the hotel room and headed to the door. Only one thought ran through his head: he didn't want to let her go. Cloud took long strides to grab her wrist and spin her around, and the first thing he noticed were her damp confused eyes. Their pale aqua shade made her visage all the more captivating; they expressed her strong fortitude and vulnerability all at once, which was one of the many things that drew him to Lightning in the first place.

He couldn't think anymore, and before he realized what he had done, Cloud reached his face to hers and melded their lips together. His other arm found its way around her waist while his tongue managed to slip in and brush against the top of hers. As she wriggled her arms to try and shove against his chest, he tightened his hold on her; the hand that held her wrist moved to angle her head upward, and he waited until her lips finally moved in synchronization with his to let it go.

However, Lightning suddenly pushed him back with all her might, a hand flying to her lips as she stared at him with frantic eyes. "It's…It's a lie—"

"It's not a lie," Cloud assured with ragged breaths. When his words seemed like jumble to her ears, he scowled as he faced reality: all his efforts were confusing Lightning, rather than making his feelings clear for her to see. "Lightning, I'm sorry that I wasn't straightforward about any of it. I was confused myself with what I was really feeling."

Her mind was in an unending spiral. Sighing, Cloud gathered her hand into his, causing her to look at them with a whirlwind of emotions.

"But after today, it's clear now. I want you here. I _need_ you here." With a light tug, he drew Lightning closer. She dropped her hand from her lips, and when she saw the vivid lust in his eyes, a wild blush ran across her face as she tried to look away. To make it worse, Cloud inclined his head to whisper into her ear, his hot breath sending the greatest shivers down her spine. "You can go ahead and hate me for what I've done…But I'm not letting you go."

She only dreamed that he would say these words; for her, it was a miracle that he truly felt this way. Through the whole incident with Tifa, Lightning wanted to do whatever it took to throw away her hopes and desires…but in the back of her mind, there was still one wish. If somehow, some way, Cloud reciprocated her feelings, she didn't want to waste the chance. Coming to the Planet was an opportunity at moving on in life – who was to say she couldn't do it with him?

Lightning's fingers delicately brushed against his cheek, curious as to how he would react after wishing to try it for so long. He closed his eyes while inhaling deeply; her touch sent marvelous sensations through his body, and his grip was possessively tight as he brought his hand up to hold hers.

"I won't let you go, either," she whispered with a smile, and it drove Cloud over the edge.

"That's good to hear."

Before they even had a chance to breathe, their lips were fastened into another kiss, forceful and passionate. Lightning threw her arms around his neck, her fingers raking through his hair, while his arms snaked around her slender form to press her body up against his. She enjoyed how he was rough and tender at the same time – lustful yet considerate.

When her hands slid down his chest and abs, Cloud delicately held her face to angle upward, allowing his tongue better access into her mouth to massage hers gently. The soft moan she elicited made his hands shoot down to her thighs, and a firm squeeze caused her to jump and wrap her legs around his waist. As he carried her with no trouble at all, Cloud took a few steps to the queen size bed before leaning forward to drop her on top. Lightning gripped tightly onto the collar of his shirt to make sure he collapsed with her, and his outstretched arms allowed him to hover above her. He took a moment for his eyes to devour her beautiful body, enjoying every second he spent with her.

Tugging down on his shirt, Lightning had to reach up some of the way to invite his lips again, and it wasn't long for him to collapse onto her. Her legs hitched themselves on his hips while his hands traveled down her body, brushing her curves with a tender touch. Neither of them was modest about their desires, but it was Cloud who finally broke free to take deep breaths. When his eyes looked into hers, she could sense a change within him.

"What is it?" she asked, her own chest heaving to catch a breath.

Cloud lifelessly chuckled to himself as he considered the thoughts running through his head. "You're finally here, within my reach…" With a sigh, he moved to sit beside her on the bed, stretching one of his legs out across the mattress. Lightning flipped over and propped herself up by the elbows as she watched him run a hand through the spiky hair her own hand ravaged. "From the very beginning, I shouldn't have pushed you away…"

"Push me away?"

"People I love, people I cherish…they always get hurt, no matter how hard I try to protect them. Though none of them blame me, I still feel responsible for leading them into trouble in the first place." His face was flustered with a red shade, and he took a deep breath through his nostrils to calm himself down. "If you were ever in danger because of me—"

"Then I'd tell you it was never your fault," she interjected, realizing where he was going with his self-scolding. Sitting herself upright, Lightning held both sides of his face so he could face her firm eyes properly. "Cloud," she started in a softer voice. "Holding onto guilt doesn't help in getting past it all. If you ever try to push me away, I'll do whatever it takes to hold onto you." She blushed as she realized what had escaped her lips. Throughout her life, she rarely showed this level of attachment to anyone. Her wicked tongue and strength always pushed people away from her heart, refusing to show them even an ounce of her vulnerability. It surprised even her as how much Cloud meant to her and how much she wanted him in her life.

With a grateful smile, Cloud took one of her hands into his before throwing it over his shoulder. "Promise?" he whispered just before leaning forward and pressing his lips onto hers again, this time a bit more gentle. Lightning allowed herself to fall back onto the bed, her head landing in the soft pillows as she wrapped her arms around his neck with desire. His hands pressed against the small of her back, causing her body to arch toward him while their legs tangled themselves above the sheets.

All the while, Cloud just felt like losing all sense of reality. It was hard to believe that he had come so far with Lightning; if he hadn't let go of his past, they would have been even further apart. He didn't want to know what the future held, whether it is them losing each other or if they actually survived the troubles and remained in each other's arms. With Lightning by his side, he didn't have to think about the troubles, and all the battles that brought him to this point finally seemed like they were worth fighting.

* * *

The chopper slowly touched down on the grassy field as Lightning and Cloud stood side by side in the early following morning. As soon as they started heading toward it, Reeve jumped out of the cabin and rushed up with worried eyes. Other WRO members came out and began preparing for a sweep through the mountains.

"Lightning. Are you all right?"

She nodded with an apologetic smile. "Yeah. Sorry about the trouble, Reeve."

Letting out a sigh of relief, he humbly returned the smile. "What matters is that you're safe," he assured. "What happened?"

Hesitant, Lightning glanced over to Cloud, who finally became curious as to how she got tangled up in this mess in the first place. Through the whole patrol, her mind was filled with too many negative thoughts to even concentrate on her mission. Thinking quickly, she put the pieces together, remembering what Yuffie had said months ago.

"Remember the disappearances from Wutai? I don't think they were just coincidences…" She proceeded to tell him about her speculations: her fall in Mt. Corel had some similarities to the incident in Mt. Nibel. If there was any connection, Lightning was definite that she, or at least the WRO itself, was a target. Some of the Wutai troops that went missing were working together with the WRO, so it was possible their venture from their homeland was a perfect opportunity for capture.

Reeve nodded in understanding, his body tense with worry for his organization. "That means we'll have to evacuate Mt. Corel."

Lightning took a step forward. "I'll help—"

"No," a firm voice said next to her. Over her shoulder, she gave Cloud a confused look as his eyes bore a hard resolve.

"But Cloud—"

"You just got out of danger," he reminded her while shaking his head. "I'm not letting you jump back in."

It always ate her up inside about how concerned he was for her safety. If he always acted like this around her, it meant his feelings were there for the longest time, and thinking that he cared for her like this since then made the butterflies in her stomach flutter more wildly.

After seeing a faint blush rise in her cheeks, Reeve understood and nodded. "Right. Well, we're dispatching a search team to investigate." He took a step to the side and stretched an arm out to the helicopter. "Just take a rest back in Edge and I'll call you if we find something."

Cloud led the way to the helicopter as Lightning closely followed behind, her brows tightly knitted together. "It would be better if I helped," she complained, but the irritation dissipated in a flash when Cloud spun on his heel, snaking an arm around her waist to pull her close for an abrupt kiss. When he pulled back all too soon, the blush grew across her face as her breaths drew out heavily. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder, and she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Reeve still walking to Mt. Corel, his back turned toward them.

"Can you at least trust me to get you back home before something else happens to you?" Cloud asked in a low voice, his eyes burning as they gazed into hers.

While the blush remained on her cheeks, Lightning gave a slow nod, eliciting a smile from Cloud. She knew it was the right thing to do, considering how stubborn her determination was recently. The effort of coming out here to save her definitely had to be rewarded.

Taking her hand, he led her into the chopper and slid down the seat; he let out a sigh of relief at the thought of going back home without any casualties. As the chopper took off into the sky, Lightning tiredly rested her head on his shoulder, and she watched the WRO start the search on the mountains in organized units. She was worried that they would fall in the same predicament as her, but the doubt faded away as her hand snaked around Cloud's arm to lace her fingers through his. Cloud nestled her head beneath his cheek, and for once, his heart was calm yet filling his chest with uncontainable warmth.

* * *

When they walked through Edge streets, Lightning was met by WRO troops who were restless with worry. She insisted that she was okay, and that she just wanted to rest before going back to her regular duties the following day. Things weren't any different at the bar; when they were visible through the windows, Tifa dropped the towel in her hand and rushed out the door to greet them.

"Lightning! Are you okay? I was worried when you didn't answer your phone."

Lightning nodded as she gave an apologetic smile. "I'm all right, Tifa. Cell reception kinda sucked in the place where I fell." She did her best to lighten the mood, for all three of them knew how awkward it as to face each other like this after what had transpired.

Tifa frowned and averted her gaze to the ground. "Light…I'm—"

Gentle arms wrapped around Tifa, giving her a sense of comfort she never really expected. "There's nothing you have to apologize for," Lightning assured, softly smiling as she pulled back. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who should be sorry for running off."

Even when her plan spiraled out of control, Tifa still wanted the two of them to work things out. She couldn't bear to continue on after clarifying things and _not_ see them together. "But…what about you two…?"

It was obvious as to what she was referring to, and Lightning and Cloud's faces turned a shade of red while intentionally looking away from each other. However, Tifa's perceptive eyes switched her gaze back and forth between the two, and she wasn't going to let them walk away anymore.

"You already know, don't you?" Cloud asked with a harmless frown, and his hand reached out to grasp Lightning's. As Lightning looked back at him with wide eyes, a sly smirk reached Tifa's lips.

"About time, too," she prodded.

He let out a heavy sigh and looked away. "Yeah, yeah."

"Light!"

From behind Tifa, Marlene and Denzel bustled out of the bar and rushed to Lightning, who dropped to her knees and scooped Marlene into her arms. As she embraced the little girl, Lightning used one hand to scruff Denzel's hair when he approached. "Marlene. Denzel." She didn't think she would be attached to young children in an affectionate way, but seeing them grow up and mature gave her hope for a blissful future.

When Marlene pulled away, she gave Lightning a warm smile with a nod. "Don't worry – we'll knock some sense into Cloud."

His ears easily caught her words, and Cloud's eyes narrowed at the giggling little girl. "Hey…" As Denzel and Tifa joined her, he shuffled around the group and entered the bar with a hanging head. Lightning watched him with pursed lips before getting up to her feet and following him inside.

Marlene looked up at Tifa and grinned brightly. The young bartender chuckled with relief, feeling that all was finally right in their little family, and she wasn't going to let Cloud's somber demeanor mess things up.

"Cloud is Cloud."

Once Lightning changed back into her usual house clothing, she went back downstairs for a specially cooked meal from Tifa and told her companion of the trek through Mt. Corel. Tifa readily agreed with Cloud that it wasn't safe for her to venture out alone again, at least until they figured out who was behind the attacks as well as the disappearances from Wutai.

"Has Yuffie said anything?" Lightning inquired just as she finished eating.

Tifa grimaced. "Not really. She's still busy dealing with collateral damage from the stigma infection."

Lightning clenched her hand into a tight fist, the memory of the pain flowing back to her like a stab to the heart. Even when time had passed since the global infection, she was sure people wouldn't let go of such grudges easily. What could one do when her whole village blamed her for saving the world _and_ the fatal disease that came as a price?

"And Lightning…I just want you to know I'm glad you worked things out with Cloud." Tifa smiled warmly. "Really – I'm happy for both of you."

Returning the smile, Lightning couldn't have asked for a better friend. Even with Cloud being a factor, she didn't want anything to become a thorn in her friendship with Tifa, and she wanted to be grateful for the rest of her life.

From the top of the stairs, Cloud smiled at the mutual understanding they had both reached. If the two most important women in his life were at ends with each other, he wouldn't have known what to do. It was an odd sensation – like having an ex giving his current girlfriend her blessing. He chuckled to himself as he stepped into the bathroom and took a quick shower, changing into a black sleeveless shirt and synthetic sweats afterwards. When he headed back to his room, he felt a slight tug at the back of his shirt, and he looked over his shoulder to see Lightning hesitantly looking away.

What tugged at Cloud's heart the most was the deep yearning in her aqua eyes, as difficult as it was for her to fully express into words. With a smirk, he opened the door to his room while reaching back to pull her arm and swing her to enter his room first. While he moved his heel back to shut the door behind him, Cloud's hands pulled Lightning close, his lips happily inviting hers. His gentle touch seemed like a heaven she never thought of finding, and she wished to stay within it for as long as she could.


	15. Something You Should Try

**Hope everyone's studying hard for their finals...and it's probably a bad idea to update in the midst of studying. Anyway, this chapter's not too long. Not much significance to the story; just some nice bonding between two people :3**

**And FYI, some of the next chapters will be like this, but it's because I wanted to show a happy side to life on the Planet, throw in a little drama here and there, trying to pace the story with how time chronologically passes in the FFVII verse, etc.**

**Next week, I'll start throwing in extra chapter updates because of the holiday break. Good luck with your tests! :)**

* * *

**Something You Should Try For Once in Your Life**

Her maturity was certainly admirable among the adults and teachers who knew her, but the children she knew on a daily basis simply thought of her behavior as a mere act – a way of garnering favorable attention. Marlene usually never found much trouble in spite of the "arrogance" mislabeled upon her, and she did whatever it took to go on with her regular days at school.

However, there were some days when the children decided to be fed up with how different she was. While she waited for Denzel, a group of truly devious classmates circled around her like vultures, though Marlene did what she could to ignore them and go about with whatever she was doing. For a while, they had been constantly been a thorn in her side, picking on her for a smallest things before ultimately blaming her for acting high and mighty.

"Hey, Martian," one of them called out before throwing a crumpled ball of paper at the back of her head. Marlene exhaled sharply, reminding herself to just ignore it.

"Stop it," she said in a firm voice, and she decided to not be petty and throw a glare over her shoulder.

It didn't stop them from towering over her with sneers and glares, their ringleader Cassie boastfully standing in front of Marlene with a smirk. This particular young blonde seemed to indulge in tormenting Barret's daughter; whenever no adult supervision was around, she found any way possible to crawl under Marlene's skin.

"Did you have fun being doted on by Mrs. Branford today?" Cassie spat out in the rudest tone Marlene heard.

Marlene frowned; she never thought that she was going any special attention while at school. "I'm just being nice – something you should try for once in your life."

As the words slowly processed through their dim-witted brains, Cassie and her posse suddenly growled when they realized the meaning behind her words. The time it took for their faces to contort with rage was more than enough for Marlene to roll her eyes before they grabbed her arms and began dragging her to the city limits. Even when she tried to wrestle her way free, she didn't want to appear stubborn or cause too much of a scene. Spending her whole life with Barret and the rest of the team certainly helped in building her character.

Just when they crossed the border, Cassie's lackeys tossed Marlene unceremoniously ahead of them, snickering as they stepped back.

"Didn't make a fuss on the way here," Cassie commented. "That's some guts you got there, but let's see how brave you really are." She extended her arm and pointed past Marlene, who looked back at them with a fierce glare. "Walk around over there for 30 minutes, and if any of the monsters try to pick at ya, why don't you use that bravado to finish them off?"

Marlene turned around with a huff, irritated that she would get caught up in such a mess. _'What if I just act like everyone else to keep them from picking on me…?'_ Shaking her head, she refused to let Cassie and her crew get the best of her. Perhaps this was her chance to show what she had learned from her family. Everyone around the Planet was vaguely aware of the efforts Barret and the others put in to save the world – she had to prove herself as their legacy, after all.

Marching forward, she kept her eyes peeled for the slightest movement. If any monsters came up, she stood not chance; she needed some type of weapon to combat with. She crouched down and picked up some stones by her feet, hoping they would be enough to fend off anything that came at her.

That one break in concentration was the perfect opportunity for a swarm of Formula birds to descend upon her. A great caw came down on her from above, and Marlene shot back up to stare straight at the sun. Using her hand to block the rays from her vision, she noticed the flock descend to her level and begin circling her like vultures. Panic sped her pulse up in an instant, and she felt as if she was about to have a heart attack.

Some of the stones in her hand fell back to the ground, hinting the birds as to what she was planning to do with them. Their screeches became more menacing as they looked upon her with bloodthirsty eyes.

In the back of her mind, all Marlene wanted to do was run away, cry for help….do _something_ to save her life. She knew for a fact that Cassie and the others wouldn't lift a finger to save her, but instead run back into the city. Who was to blame for the predicament she was in: the bully, or her pride that didn't allow her to let it go?

But still…running wasn't an option. Everyone she loved and held dear never backed down from a challenge. They always faced their troubles head-on, so why shouldn't she?

There was still one last pebble in her hand, and she had no other choice but to turn to it as her means of fighting. Gripping it tightly, Marlene used her eyes to scour the flock that surrounded her. Each and every one of them looked capable of making the first strike – that was the one she had to retaliate against and hopefully intimidate the others.

'_But which one…?'_

She lingered on one of them for a bit too long, hesitating with the possibility that it could be the one, when a bird right behind her screeched and nose dived toward her. Marlene spun around to see it in time, but there was nothing she could do to defend herself. Her body was frozen with shock and dread, and it seemed hopeless…

A swift flash of pink and red obscured her vision, and a sudden gust of wind engulfed her in a spiral. Just when Marlene crouched down and closed her eyes shut, she heard the great birds screeching out along with a singing blade that silenced them all too soon. The sound of a snapping fabric was followed by a few gunshots; she could sense a presence moving all around her with amazing versatility, and yet it was so precise in avoiding contact with the little girl.

One final snap, and all was quiet except for the distant murmurs she could identify as her classmates. Marlene slowly opened her eyes and found Lightning standing before her, the gunblade at the ready as she took on her regular apprehensive stance. All around them, the bloodthirsty birds lay wasted, either sliced and diced or barraged by bullets.

"Lightning!"

As soon as she tucked the Blazefire Saber away, Lightning dropped to Marlene's level and placed a hand on her head. Worry cloaked her features while her forehead creased. "Are you hurt?"

Marlene shook her head with a sigh of relief. "No, I'm fine." Her eyes then flitted toward the group of bullies over by Edge, some of their faces masked with worry and surprise. Cassie in particular looked pissed off at the turn of events; in her eyes, Marlene had just gotten another "pass" for being a goody two-shoes.

When Lightning got to her feet, she followed Marlene's gaze. Marlene didn't know how her face looked, but it must have been one hell of an expression to make Cassie and her lackeys turn into whimpering fools. In a matter of seconds, they had turned to scamper off through the city.

"It was just some joke they wanted to pull," Marlene explained. Lightning gave her a look that told her she didn't buy the whole story.

"Well, I can't let photographic memory go to waste. Once I'm done, they won't bother you again." As a gentle smile curved her lips upward, she held out her hand for Marlene to take, and together, they walked to the city's border and out of potential danger.

"Thanks," Marlene said before turning to begin her way to the bar. Her first step was halted by Lightning, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay here for a minute," she explained. "I'm almost done with my shift. Just let me talk to the team and I'll walk you home." Once Lightning bounded toward the team patrolling the grasslands not too far from their point, Marlene stood by and waited…allowing the self-loathing to kick in. Not only did she fail to prove herself against her classmates, but she had to get Lightning's help and cause her trouble.

At first, the two of them headed back to 7th Heaven together in silence, with Marlene hanging her head low in shame.

"Why the long face?" Lightning asked. "You were looking mighty confident back there."

Although she meant for it to be a compliment, Marlene focused on how meek that so-called confidence was and how quick it faded away. "They dared me to prove how brave I was." With a sigh, she stopped in her tracks and looked up at Lightning with a frown. "Even though I look like I can handle it, I'm still not strong enough, like you and Tifa and Cloud."

Her words caught Lightning, who stopped as well to look down at Marlene. "You were trying to prove yourself?" she asked in astonishment. When the little girl nodded, Lightning let out a small sigh and dropped down on one knee to look her in the eye. The sadness was clear on Marlene's face; what if her "kindness" really was just an act to hide her weakness? She couldn't do much like her father and everyone else, so there was nothing else to do but to show that she _could_ be helpful.

"Don't rush through life without experience," Lightning said in a soft yet clear voice. The moment her words reached Marlene's ears, she knew that the soldier was speaking from her own experiences when she dealt with the same kind of internal turmoil. "I'm sure you've been through a lot with Cloud and Tifa…hell, even with your dad." She quietly chuckled to herself at the sight of Barret, a man who cherished his daughter so dearly, actually fighting in front of her eyes. "But just being there isn't enough. You'll need to practice to become strong, so it'll take time."

Getting up on her feet, Lightning gently patted Marlene's shoulder and smiled. "Pace yourself properly, and you'll achieve your goal with your fullest potential."

It didn't take long for everything to make sense in Marlene's head. Naturally, if she wanted to be like the people she admired for years, she needed time and practice. Wishes and desires weren't enough to get what she wanted; Marlene had to strive for that goal in her own way, no matter how long it took to achieve it.

With a nod, Marlene returned the smile before taking Lightning's hand with confidence. As they continued walking toward the bar, they found Denzel heading back home as well, smiling at him with the usual joy they felt with every passing day. The days were long, but each and every one of them helped Marlene and Denzel grow. Even if the thought of the tedious wait was somewhat discouraging, they were reassured time and again by the models in their lives that they would become the very kind of people they wanted to be.


	16. Just About Done

**Just About Done**

When word got out that LOVELESS was in production once again, everyone across the Planet was in talk of seeing it. Most of the inns in Kalm were packed with tourists, and spotlights were visible all the way in Edge. Some of Midgar Area Patrol had to work a little overtime to serve as security personnel, assisting travelers across the grasslands as they marched right into town.

Luckily, Lightning was able to take the night off and avoid the hassle, and she headed home through quieter streets. Throughout the day, civilians had been in such hype for the play, making her curious about it...

But what got most of her attention was how quiet Midgar had recently become. No longer could she hear the distant cries that were said to be remnants of Midgar's deceased from Meteorfall or those who lost their lives because of Shinra's tyrannical rule. Despite Reeve's warnings, she couldn't batter down her curiosity for exploring the ruins. How did such a company manage to scar the Planet so much? Unlike the fal'Cie deities, Shinra was just run by mere humans who could have been easily stopped. A shiver ran through Lightning's spine, thinking about the dangers the company hid deep in the depths of the former headquarters.

By the time she turned the last corner to reach the bar, she spotted Cloud bringing out the kickstand of his motorcycle. "Cloud," she called out while walking up to him. "Quick delivery?"

He nodded. "Yeah, just over to Kalm. It wasn't easy getting through the crowds, though."

"No kidding," Lightning chuckled. Together, they looked at the spotlight beams running across the sky and wondered how everything was going over in Kalm.

Turning back to the bar, Cloud's forehead slightly creased. "Tifa should have opened up by now." He made his way to enter his home, Lightning following closely behind and noticing everything in order. The chairs were up on the tables and the counter remained as spotless as it was earlier in the day, save for the lone note sitting on the far end close to the stairs. Despite how dark it was, they easily avoided the obstacles and strode across the room. Cloud picked up the slip of paper and read its contents under the dim lighting coming for the stairway.

When he quietly chuckled to himself, it sparked Lightning's interest. "What happened?"

Cloud turned to her with a smirk. "They're watching LOVELESS." As he set the paper down, he noticed Lightning run a hand through her hair and down the light pink locks draped over her shoulder, her face calm and gentle. It seemed easy for her now to shed the cold hard front at any moment and make herself vulnerable to the people close to her. He wondered what it was like for her growing up: toughening up during her day's work in Guardian Corps, but still become soft when she came home to her sister.

Once Lightning saw him gazing at her, Cloud leaned forward to catch her lips with a soft kiss. She responded in an instant, inviting him in as her lips parted and his arm wrapped around her waist to pull her close. As her face suddenly felt on fire, her hands delicately held his face, her fingers briefly brushing against the rapidly pulsing vein at the side of his neck. It wasn't long for the desire to override their thoughts, and it felt like their bodies were too far apart. Cloud's hands weren't modest; they gripped her hips tightly, which was when he remembered Lightning's uniform designed to have a short skirt.

He pressed her up against the side of the counter before leaving a trail of kisses down to her neck. "Guardian Corps have pretty perverted designers," he growled against her skin, unable to control himself.

Lightning briefly chuckled as her hand ran through his spiky hair. "Oh, yeah?" she teased.

"So easy to take off…" His fingers were nimble in undoing the buckle around her waist in one go, and the hooks holding her uniform together easily unlatched. Before he had the chance to touch the belt on her skirt, Lightning took his hands into hers, making Cloud straighten up to look at her with confusion. Without a word, she led him up the stairs, her pace hasty and anxious.

As soon as she pulled the both of them into their now shared room, she spun on her heel to kiss him with a burning passion. Cloud pushed the Guardian Corps jacket and pauldron off her shoulders just before her hands worked to loosen the strap keeping his own pauldron up. All the while, their lips barely parted from each other, even when he spun her around him to press against the door and close it simultaneously. His hands pressed up against the wall on both of her sides, trapping her, but she never wanted to escape. Just knowing that he was this ravenous for her threw away any kind of logical working in her mind.

Lightning quickly unfastened her leg pouch and threw it to the side along with her gloves and black sleeve. Cloud did the same before his hands shot to the belt around her hips, and while he shoved the tiny skirt to the ground, Lightning combed her fingers through his hair, a subtle move that recently started to make him burn throughout his body. His lips returned to her neck as she unraveled the buckles that fastened the cloth beside his leg. Just when her hand flew to the zipper of his shirt, he gripped onto her wrist tightly and turned to drag her toward the bed.

She had no time to speak as she was turned around and thrown onto the bed to land on her back. Her attempt to sit up was denied as Cloud crawled on top of her, instantly silencing her with a kiss. As Lightning settled back down, she was finally able to tug at the zipper and feel his well-defined chest and upper abs.

At that moment, she pulled back to look into his eyes that glowed with a remarkable hue. She felt herself become lost in the unique depths of the glow, only to be sucked back in once again when Cloud pulled her close.

"Wait," she breathed out, feeling the need to take a great gasp of air. While her chest heaved, he planted a trail of kisses down her chest while he slowly pulled the zipper of her shirt down.

Shaking his head, Cloud went back to her mouth. "No," he murmured in response, and though Lightning wanted to somehow pull back, she couldn't stop her body from arching upward at his touch. Her legs hitched up on his hips like before; his hands trailed down the side of her body, sending amazing surges through her, before slipping her boots off and dropping them on the floor.

While he kicked his boots off, Lightning continuously asked herself if this was just all in her head. Since when was she so eager to be this intimate with a guy after all she had gone through with Serah and the Guardian Corps? It seemed nearly impossible for her to find a man who sent enticing jolts through her body with a simple touch, who could hold her so possessively as if he truly desired her. She never imagined herself in a deep commitment like this, and she wasn't ready to go so deep so soon.

A loud familiar tune rang through the room, its origin coming from the clothes near the door. They glanced over at the heap before looking at each other, and when Lightning frowned with a nod, Cloud sighed before rolling off to allow her to get up on her feet. Striding over, she quickly rummaged to grab her loud cell phone out of her overcoat.

"Jane, are you okay?" she asked into it after checking the caller ID.

"Yeah, everything's fine, captain. I'm just reminding you that I'm turning in the forms for the Costa del Sol trip to the commissioner. He said he wanted them as soon as possible so he could string up a temporary squad during our leave."

Running a hand over her face, Lightning tried to keep the deep breaths as quiet as possible. "Yeah, sure. Thanks." After she hung up, she quietly thought to herself, drumming her fingers along the back of her phone before going to sit cross-legged on the bed. "WRO vacation," she explained as she waved her cellphone in her hand. "Costa del Sol."

Cloud smirked, for it seemed like she didn't realize the warm smile that appeared on her face soon after her talk with Jane. "You're excited?"

Lightning figured she was an open book and shrugged. "It'll be nice to enjoy some beach time. My sister and I lived in a seaside city called Bodhum." Her mother always liked the water, looking out through the window at night to see the moon glisten across the surface.

He moved his arms up and crossed them behind his head. "Now you're making me regret my childhood even more."

"Nibelheim was that bad?" she chuckled out.

"Oh, yeah. A backwater town like that – not much to do except risk your life in the mountains on a daily basis." Reaching out, Cloud wrapped his arms around Lightning's waist to drag her close, and he sat up to bring his face close to hers. "Now where were we?"

With one kiss after another, Lightning knew where it was going to lead. Putting in much reluctant effort, she pushed against his chest and smirked coyly while looking into his confused eyes. "Just about done. I don't think I'm quite ready yet."

He couldn't hide the disappointment on his face, but Cloud knew it wasn't right to push Lightning into something she didn't want. Getting caught up in the moment was something new to him, and he had to learn some self-control in time to make things work for the both of them.

"You're right…" Even when he decided to give up and fall back down onto the bed, his arms didn't let her go, and Lightning ended up tumbling down along with him. She laughed aloud before Cloud captured her lips once more, seeming like he wasn't going to let her go.

"Ok," she squealed with conflicting delight as her hands tried to push him away. "Enough." Lightning quickly slid off the bed and headed to the closet, picking up her house clothes and rushing toward the bathroom in the hallway. After Cloud changed his clothes, he joined her in the bathroom and they quickly brushed their teeth before returning to tuck themselves in bed.

As his arm possessively wrapped around her waist beneath the sheets, he had to remind himself that restraint was necessary in their relationship. No matter how badly he wanted Lightning, Cloud had to make sure his actions didn't hurt her. When he pulled her close to his chest, she snuggled to make herself comfortable, using his other arm as a substitute pillow. After finally having her in his arms, he couldn't afford to screw it all up by losing control over the urges and inevitably bringing harm to Lightning.

* * *

Writing love/romance scenes is **_sooooo_ **not my forte, as you could possibly tell. XD

Anyways, just a small update to get this story moving. This was intended to create some sexual tension...if it brought up any at all. Keep studying! :D


	17. How About Second Squad?

**How About Second Squad?**

The bright sun beamed down on the team, a good sign of fun times ahead. As the Midgar Area Patrol squads walked onto the pier, Lightning looked up to the clear blue skies and shielded her eyes with her hand. She couldn't believe that Reeve actually approved of this little excursion, but it actually made her feel relieved. After being away from Bodhum for six months, being close to the beach gave her a calm state of mind, and the tension in her muscles finally disappeared throughout her body.

"Isn't this exciting, captain?" Rose exclaimed as she appeared behind Lightning. Her wide eyes scoured the Costa del Sol resort with fascination.

Lightning nodded with a smile. "It's something, all right." Before she took one step forward, she felt the slightest tug on the duffel bag in her left hand, raising the alarm in her head in an instant. Effortlessly, she moved her duffel to her right hand and stretched her left arm out, blocking Cloud as he reached for her belongings.

He stopped in his tracks before glancing over to see Lightning cock an eyebrow. "Cloud," she started with a sigh. "Inviting you to the beach doesn't mean you have to carry my stuff."

Fighting the nerve to roll his eyes, Cloud gave her a little smirk. "I just figured you wanted to go around the place with Jane."

Jane grinned brightly "It's fine, sir. Besides, we really should check in with everyone else."

In between them, Lightning smiled at Cloud's chivalry before turning to her subordinate. "Jane. Why don't you go on ahead? We'll walk a little before heading to the inn."

"All right, then," she replied with little reluctance. "I'll see you later!"

Once she left, Lightning turned back to Cloud with the same warm smile. "So, what exactly does Costa del Sol have? Last time I was here, we didn't get a chance to explore much."

Cloud offered his hand out to her, nodding his head toward the marketplace. "Come on," he insisted. "I'll show you."

Just a few days before departing Edge, he suddenly announced to the other 7th Heaven residents that he would be accompanying the WRO to Costa del Sol, little to their surprise. "I thought so," Tifa said in the midst of their dinner time. "Pretty much to keep an eye on Lightning, right?" Marlene and Denzel nodded in agreement before laughing softly to themselves.

Lightning blushed before turning her head down, and yet Cloud did little to defend himself. Within a few weeks, he felt so relaxed about showing his feelings that he barely noticed or even cared. Not much changed around the bar since he and Lightning started going out, which was a relief on her part.

After some perusing through the little stands of the marketplace, the two of them eventually checked into their room along with the other WRO members; a gentle breeze flowed in from the open window, and a captivating scent of lilies engulfed them as they entered. As Cloud set their belongings down next to the bed, Lightning moved to the window and watched the other tourists peruse the streets and relax in the sand on the beach. She could imagine herself back in Bodhum – the bustling people turned into workers setting up for the annual fireworks display. Not too far away, she could have seen Lebreau's bar, the main headquarters for NORA. The vestige was in plain sight by the town limits, completely ignored by the rest of the residents.

"Nothing like a refreshing sea breeze," she said with a smile. Looking back over her shoulder, Lightning saw Cloud sitting at the foot of the bed, hunched over as if fatigue swept through his body. "Cloud…?" She worriedly crossed the room and sat down beside him, angling her head while moving his face to look at it. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Letting out a deep sigh, he finally allowed a small smile curl his lips upward. His bright eyes looked at Lightning tiredly before his head collapsed on her shoulder. "I'm fine," he said in a bare whisper. "I just have a history of motion sickness, and being on the ship didn't help."

Thinking back, she remembered how uncomfortable Cloud was about moving everywhere on the ship. He was able to handle riding his motorcycle, but going overseas must have brought back some bad memories. Lightning gently lifted his head back up and scooted back on the bed, and it confused him when her hands suddenly pulled his shoulders so he could fall back. When he saw nothing but her face, any ill feelings left behind from the travel disappeared, and everything felt right in the world in the blink of an eye. Her fingers gently combed through the yellow spikes that tickled her lap; she quietly laughed at the wave of relaxation that showed up on his face.

"Feeling better?"

After closing his eyes for a few seconds, he opened them back up with a warm smile. She knew exactly what made him calm and did whatever it took to bring him to his happy place.

"Lots."

With the warm sun and perfect breeze, it was only natural for the WRO members to get as much fun as they could out of this vacation. It was decided that they would first hit the beach, and the team gathered in a wide enough spot for all of them.

"All right." Vic grinned as he spun a volleyball on his finger. "Squad versus squad," he suggested. "Losers get to treat the winners for a week's worth of drinks at 7th Heaven." Many started complaining at his proposal as Cloud, Lightning, and Jane walked over from the stairs, all dressed in beachwear.

"What's going on?" Lightning asked curiously.

"Volleyball match," Rose explained. "Be part of _our_ team, captain!"

Sage scowled at her. "Hey, why do you get Captain Farron?"

Soon enough, the usual bicker erupted, and Lightning chuckled while shaking her head. She never noticed the lighter side of her coworkers in Guardian Corps, what with her seriousness and dedication to the job. A part of her regretted not getting to be familiar with her original squads, but she hoped to make it up with this new batch left in her hands to nurture and train.

With a smile, she walked over and placed a hand on Jane's shoulder, surprising the young girl. "How about second squad?"

Smiling brightly, Jane nodded and practically jumped with excitement. "Awesome!" While she ran to begin forming the teams, Lightning took off the white buttoned top to reveal the light blue bikini top she chose for herself. She didn't turn around in time to see Cloud's wide eyes and instead gave him the white shirt.

"Are you gonna play?" she asked.

Blinking a few times, he fervently shook his head and took the shirt from her hands. "I'll just wait in our spot." When he turned, Cloud inhaled deeply to steady his heaving chest; a part of him wished Lightning would have run her choice of swimwear by him before deciding to wear it in public. He scratched the back of his head as he sat down by their spot, aggravated at how flustered he was. Of course, Cloud wanted her to have the choice of what to wear, but when he was around, it was like all the other wolves on the prowl were only obvious to his eyes and invisible to hers.

As the WRO started their game, some of the members showed an adequate display of volleyball skills while others just needed lessons overall. Lightning seemed to hold her own, but her main focus seemed to be support and setting the ball for her other teammates. Even when she had a clear shot of getting the ball over the net, she would call the name of the closest member and set the ball up for them to make the shot. Cloud marveled at her value of teamwork and mentally checked off one more thing that he loved about the girl.

Soon enough, Lightning gained possession of the ball and stood in the server's spot. When she threw it in the air and smacked it across with a perfect form, a loud wolf whistle was heard close to the stairway they took to get to the beach from the plaza. Cloud craned his neck to see a group of jock-like men watching the volleyball game with dark smirks, and a small fuse ignited inside him in no time at all.

"Damn, check out the rack on _that_ one!"

Another one guffawed while crossing his arms before his chest. "Man, did you see those curves when she served? I'd want a piece of that."

Like poison, their words continued on, oblivious to the damage they created. From his spot under their umbrellas, Cloud clenched his hands into tight fists, battering down the gremlin that wanted to rip their tongues out and throw them to the wildlife just outside the resort. He felt his face enflame with rage, yet the daggers from his eyes couldn't reach far enough. Getting on his feet, Cloud trudged over to the volleyball game, ignoring the sand he was furiously kicking everywhere.

When he arrived at the makeshift court, Lightning finished serving the ball before noticing his presence. "Hey-" The smile on her face disappeared as soon as Cloud tugged on her arm and began dragging her away. At first, she stumbled on her feet, and once she regained balance, she gave some resistance while looking at him confused. "Cloud, what are you doing?"

Instead of answering her, he turned to face the dumbstruck WRO members. Their eyes expressed confusion, but they felt it was necessary to wait and hear his explanation rather than deal with his brute strength.

"I'm leveling the field," he said in a hard voice. "The teams are even now, right?" When Cloud continued on to the umbrellas, he sat down while dragging Lightning along, and she stumbled next to him before adjusting to sit upright. He quickly grabbed her white top and tossed it onto her lap, earning furrowed eyebrows from Lightning. "Put this on."

"Why? It's hot." She immediately noticed how he slightly peered out the corner of his eye to see the group of guys by the stairs. As they turned back with disgruntlement, she was able to put two and two together while a blush of embarrassment ran across her face. "Oh…"

Once they were out of sight, Cloud looked back forward and sighed heavily. "Sorry," he said in a hard voice. It was clear he had difficulty keeping his temper down. "I just couldn't let them watch you like that." Thinking about them made his hands curl into tight shaking fists.

All the while, Lightning just sat next to him surprised after she buttoned up her shirt halfway. She never expected this side of him, especially with the dark past she had heard so much about. With a gentle smile, she placed a hand on his arm to get his attention. "It's fine. I get it." She then lightly smirked while resting her chin on his shoulder. "Good thing I got a boyfriend like you looking out for me. It's pretty modest of you." He then ducked his head at her words, worrying her as she straightened back up. "What?"

He refused to meet her eyes, knowing that his behavior was a bit unnecessary, but couldn't help but tell her of his true intentions. If he couldn't, Lightning would never understand the meaning behind his actions.

"The reason I pulled you away was to make sure no one would look at you like that…but me."

Once his words had sunk in, Lightning's face felt like frying up in an instant, and she turned away as well in hoped of hiding her flustered appearance. Knowing that he thought that way made her feel as if he was placing her on some special pedestal to keep her out of everyone else's reach. At first, it was worrying how concerned Cloud was for her...

But it quickly made sense. If it were Lightning, she would have also made sure no one else would have dirty thoughts for Cloud, especially if she was around.

When he fell back to lie down with a sigh, she looked at him for a short moment before leaning back to rest her head on his outstretched arm. The curious look he gave her was returned with a smile. "I'm glad you came," she said happily, and she nestled her way into his embrace.

Unable to control himself, Cloud wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, closing his eyes in an attempt at relaxation. If he was ever going to find peace after all the battles and struggles he went through, it was going to be with Lightning. Tifa's words were true, after all: he had found his light, and he wasn't going to let it slip away.


	18. We're Gonna Need a New One

**We're Gonna Need a New One**

Today started out just like any other day: making breakfast for Marlene and Denzel, seeing them take off for school just before Lightning left for patrol, and I waited for the usual call or customer before telling Cloud of a new job. Things were starting to actually look like happy times for the Planet, with everyone finding their own slice of heaven.

Just last night, Lightning and Cloud were able to find some time together, since Cloud didn't have any errands to run. For a while, they hung around the bar with me, catching up on the daily news and joking around like any other time. As we talked, I couldn't help but notice how warm Cloud's smiles had become. He never showed so much happiness before Lightning came…at least, not since Nibelheim.

I was glad they worked things out, and it was a relief to see them happy together…but none of it could completely demolish the dark regret I had in my heart.

Ever since we were kids, I was worried about Cloud – the shy kid who lived next to me, who I barely talked to…who was brave enough to help me that day on the bridge. Since then, I looked out for him from afar, even when he tried to avoid me upon the villagers' cruel demands. No matter how many times I told everyone that it wasn't his fault, I was simply excused for my grieving for my mother, and I hated watching them ostracize Cloud like a heathen.

But he didn't complain. He silently took their judgments and went along with a smile, but that smile was so lifeless and distant. And every time I saw it, I felt the guilt piling up inside, unable to properly find an outlet.

While I was restocking our supplies on the shelves, Cloud came down from the stairs, dressed and ready for the travel ahead of him.

"Heading out?" I asked over my shoulder.

He nodded while approaching the counter. "Yeah. Just gonna get a quick breakfast first." I took that as my cue to pull out the leftovers from last night and pop them in the microwave. As I waited, my eyes caught the picture frame set next to the plates on the shelves nearby. It had me, Cloud, and everyone else standing before the newly constructed Edge, and despite some of the smiling faces in it, I lightly frowned while pointing toward it.

"We're gonna need a new one – with Lightning."

From behind me, I heard Cloud let out a small chuckle. "If she lets us."

I smirked as I turned around to hand him his food. "Why? You think she's camera shy?"

"She won't be so willing," he explained so matter-of-factly. "She's not the type to take pictures for the sake of fondness. But I'll talk her into it."

It was surprising as to how well he knew Lightning; not even I could deduce that by just a glance. Though she was willing to be open about some things to me and the rest of us, I could tell there were parts that she wouldn't disclose, in hopes of effectively burying her past for good. Cloud must have made a pretty good crack in her shell to know something like that.

Once he finished his meal, I reached over to grab his plate when a curious look formed on his face. "Hey, Tifa. I've been meaning to ask you…"

"What?" I said as I put his plate in the sink. In all honesty, I never expected him to ask the question that came from him. Why try and ruin the happiness you already found?

"Why did you help us? Me and Lightning…I know about your attempts to push us together." I knew he meant the last bit to be a joke, but the words made my heart stop for the longest minute. It felt like my head was finally clearing up, and I could answer the question with complete honesty.

The dark regret in my heart found a way to crawl out, expose itself to my thoughts and begin plaguing my mind. Flashes of those old visions came to me – what the possible future would have been like…if it was me beside Cloud. We would have smiled together, traveled together, enjoyed each other's company like no other…The endless possibilities weighed down on my chest, and some part of me felt some deep desire that I remembered from years ago.

Even when I assured Lightning two months ago that I didn't like Cloud anymore, in the back of my head, I knew it was a lie. It was uncomfortable to outright deny what I harbored for so many years, especially when I worked so hard to beat them down since the moment I saw that the two of them had something special between them.

If Lightning had never come to the Planet…would Cloud and I share what they have? I should have done more back in Nibelheim…I should have helped relieve him of the guilt from when I fell off the bridge. But everyone had already blamed him – pointed fingers at him until his resolve was finally made. The night before he left for Midgar, Cloud asked to meet me by the well, and we made the promise that kept me waiting for years.

And I waited. I waited to see him in Nibelheim when Zack and Sephiroth came to observe the reactor. I waited to meet him again by chance in Midgar. I waited for him to get his true memories back. I waited for us and our friends to finally defeat Sephiroth in the Northern Cave. I waited for two years as he struggled with the stigma.

But he still couldn't look at me differently. Even when the darkness that gripped his heart disappeared, I was still cherished as an important friend…and nothing more.

With a smile, I turned back to him and chuckled lightly. "You caught me, huh?"

Cloud laughed along. "Looking back now, it was pretty obvious."

I hesitated at first, but I came up with a valid reasoning that wasn't all a lie. "Well, you guys were obvious, too. Come on, now. You shouldn't let an opportunity like that go to waste."

Why was it so easy for me to answer, when looking at him made my heart flutter like crazy? It took a while, but I finally saw it. For the past three years, I looked out for him like no other, and yet he couldn't look at me the same way as I saw him. Not anymore, at least. The horrors and events we experienced were too much for him to handle, and just thinking about me would bring it all back. My efforts to help him through those dark times were like a double-edged sword – we made it through, but when he looked at me closely, those dark times were all he could see. I couldn't force him to go through that again. He needed someone fresh and new – one who could give him a future from scratch.

A future that isn't held back by the guilt and horrors of our past.

With the heavy and sad heart that longed to be with him, I helped Lightning make her way into his. Many would have said the struggle with Sephiroth was the hardest thing anyone could have faced…but the first six months of supporting Lightning seemed to be so much harder.

I wanted him to be happy, and he was…with her. Despite my wishing to somehow take her place, I couldn't do that to Lightning. The both of them deserved this – a slice of heaven within each other. Just knowing that they could make it work was enough for me, and so long as Cloud was happy…

I was happy.

* * *

As I was writing the story, I figured people would wonder if Tifa was ever going to be the jealous type. She truly does support Lightning and Cloud being together, but because she's the ever-so-shy Tifa when it comes to Cloud, she lucked out and sorta kinda deals with it in her own way. Moreover, this was to give some closure to any potential CloTi pairing...for now.


	19. Not Interested

**Not Interested**

The search for the missing peoples led to nowhere time and time again. Still, slowly but surely, more innocent civilians were vanishing across the Planet, and it definitely began striking Cloud's nerves. There was a popular myth of Midgar's dead haunting the ruins ever since the Meteorfall…but that was sure to be impossible.

He looked out the window from his room and saw the sun shining behind the tall ruin that was once Shinra Headquarters. In the past, one of the company's notorious trademarks was that it held dark secrets within – terrible acts that threatened life on the Planet. Of course, everyone now knows that it was the truth, but what they did exactly….The heinous crimes could have been endless.

Cloud already knew about mako, Jenova, and Sephiroth, but he was sure there was more. Among the secrets that Shinra held, there must have been more that were still kept hidden, even after the company's downfall. Could they have something to do with the missing people, intentional or unintentional?

Wanting answers, he pulled out his phone and dialed the one number he never thought of calling again after all this time. Cloud was sure the man wouldn't ignore this one request; after all, he owed a lot to him and the Planet.

"It's been a while," he said into the receiver once he realized someone was on the other line. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something."

* * *

He grumbled to himself as he prepared his motorcycle just outside the bar. The trip would only take about half an hour, and yet he wanted to get the spontaneous meeting done and over with as soon as possible.

"Cloud?"

He turned to see Lightning approaching, a curious expression settling in her features. "You're going for a delivery?"

A little hesitant at first, Cloud sighed while turning to completely face her. "I'm meeting someone in Healen …and he's asked to see you, too."

She blinked a few times with surprise, wondering who exactly the mystery man was. Judging by Cloud's serious and hard tone of voice, she easily deduced that this wasn't going to be a happy meeting. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Listen, you don't have to go," he replied, avoiding her pointed question. "It's not an issue I can't handle. These guys are kind of shady."

His words didn't make her feel any less worried, and she crossed her arms before her chest. "Right. And you think I'm gonna let you go alone?"

Cloud knew that look in her eyes all too well: once she was this determined to do something, nothing was going to stop her. Just like how he worried for her safety, Lightning wouldn't allow him to go off without support, especially when there where mysterious assailants on the loose.

Rolling his eyes, he climbed aboard Fenrir and started the engine. "Let's go," he said with as little enthusiasm as possible. Lightning smirked before straddling right behind him, and he took off in an instant.

As they sped through an enormous flower field a little ways past Kalm, Lightning could have sworn she saw a woman standing in the far-off distance, her red jacket and pink dress highly conspicuous among the yellow flowers. She was sure it wasn't just the wind or her hair obscuring her vision, and the woman with brunette hair seemed to be watching them drive by with contentment.

"Cloud, wait!" she shouted over the roaring engine. Cloud immediately slowed down, his tires still screeching as he tried to crawl to a stop, and shot his foot out to balance the bike.

"What is it?" The worry in his voice didn't bother Lightning as she got off and peered back over to the fields they passed…only to find the woman vanished without a single trace. In an area of land this vast, there was no way she could have gotten far so quickly, and yet she was nowhere to be seen.

"I saw someone out there," Lightning replied, though her hesitant voice didn't help support her claim. Her eyes darted around the place the woman appeared, but all she could find were endless flowers. "I'm sure I did."

Cloud initially thought it was just all in her head…but considering where they were, it wasn't impossible. For the past two years, he had sensed some warm presence whenever he drove by, but with the Geostigma and the guilt weighing him down, he must not have noticed properly. He also searched among the flowers for the familiar pink that he could never forget, but he found nothing. As his eyes glanced toward a perturbed Lightning, he wondered why Aerith would appear now of all times, especially for a woman she had never met.

"Come on," he called out after a whole minute had gone by. "Healen's not too far now."

Lightning's eyes took one last sweep across the field, but it was clear and empty. The woman looked so calm and peaceful; Lightning wanted to make sure she was all right and safe, despite being a complete stranger. With uncertainty, she slowly climbed back on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around Cloud's waist, and they sped off to their destination once again.

"Healen Lodge?" Lightning asked as they passed by a directory board. Looking ahead, she saw a white hut nestled in the mountainside with a flight of stairs leading to the front door. She saw the cliff it stood upon, as well as the waterfall leading down into a lake at the bottom.

Cloud slowed the bike to a crawl as they approached the hut. "It was a medical center to treat those with Geostigma." After he stopped and cut the engine, he kicked out the stand and dismounted with Lightning. "Of course, they weren't very successful, so it's more or less abandoned except for—"

"Yo, Cloud!"

They looked to the top of the stairs to see a man with unkempt red hair waving down at them. He wore a black business suit with a white shirt underneath and goggles along his hairline, hinting Lightning that he wasn't exactly the hardworking type of person his suit was intended for. Beside him was a taller bald man in the same uniform, but wearing dark sunglasses. As the two of them descended the stairs, the man with red hair tapped a type of rod on his shoulder with waves of cockiness; Cloud closed his eyes and sighed at the sight of them, as if they were the last people he expected to see.

"Still sulkin' after all this time?" the man continued.

Lightning held back a chuckle as she saw the irritated look on Cloud's face. "Friends of yours?"

He slightly turned toward her on his right side. "Not exactly," he almost grumbled. It was going to be many more years if the time ever came for him to call the Turks his friends. Sure, they helped in the battle against Kadaj and the others, but that was only because they were working toward one common goal. Among all the Turks, Reno was the one who especially got on his nerves. On the other hand, he didn't give a care about the other one: Rude. The tall one was usually silent, which certainly helped when dealing with his partner's flamboyance.

When he turned back to the Turks, Cloud noticed how Reno's eyes instantly swept up and down Lightning as he smirked. "Ah, so you _did_ bring her…and she's well equipped, too."

She saw how his gaze was a little lower than eye level, making it easy to deduce what he was looking at on her chest. Gritting her teeth, Lightning shot her right hand down to her thigh, hoping to pull her sword out in time...

But in the blink of an eye, Cloud beat her to it and raised the extended Blazefire Sabre to Reno's throat. The once cocky Turk was now frozen in fear, a pitiful gasp escaping his lips as he raised his hands up as if surrendering. Lightning glanced toward Cloud again and saw the irritation now replaced with anger; the grip on her sword was tight as he was itching to dig the blade into Reno's skin.

"Sorry," he finally said in a hard yet even tone. "Didn't catch that last part."

It didn't take long for sweat to begin falling down his face, and he chuckled nervously with a weak smile. "Really? Me neither!" he said as fast as a barreling train, anxiety taking over. "You know, half the time, I don't even know what comes out of my mouth. Sorry if I said anything wrong!"

After a few more moments of intimidation, Cloud finally lowered the gunblade to his side, though his grip was still tight. His face didn't relax the slightest bit, even when Lightning gently placed a hand on his arm. Meanwhile, Reno let out a great sigh of relief, his shaky hand rubbing his throat delicately.

"The president's inside," Rude finally said. He then grabbed the back of Reno's collar and began dragging him back to the lodge. "He's waiting for you."

Cloud flipped the sword back into its gun mode with ease and held it before Lightning, who held her hands out for him to drop it in. "Since when did you know how to use it?" she asked as she tucked it away. She followed Cloud up the stairs of the hut, intrigued at how well he handled the Blazefire Sabre with fast reflexes.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out how it worked." When she looked over to see his face, she could tell he was holding back a smirk. "Good thing it was simple, too, or I wouldn't have been able to scare the hell out of him."

Once they reached the door, Rude held it slightly open for them to enter, and they saw that it wasn't just them. Across the room, next to the window with blinds, there was a tall austere man with long raven hair and a tilak on his forehead. Lightning could easily tell he was in a higher position than his fellow suits she had just met, and was somewhat placated that the group wasn't a complete joke. Next to him was a man dressed in all white, his sleek blonde hair neatly combed as he looked out the window with his arms crossed behind him. When he turned around, his deep blue eyes looked upon Cloud and Lightning in a humble way, and yet she felt that the man had some hidden agenda that wouldn't be revealed so easily.

"Cloud. It's been a while."

In response, Cloud stiffly nodded. "Rufus."

When Rufus' eyes focused on Lightning, she felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end, and she felt the desire to know what was running through this man's head. "And you must be Miss Farron," he said with a smile while quickly pointing at her.

Lightning glanced toward Cloud curiously, and he returned the gaze with a not too happy aura around him. "Lightning, this is Rufus Shinra," he introduced with little enthusiasm. It took a moment for the name to ring a bell in her head, and once it did, she sneered toward the man before them.

"You mean of the Shinra Company?"

Rufus lightheartedly frowned. "I see my name still brings anger." After giving a very short second of thought, however, he walked up to her nonetheless and shook her hand, which she very much desired to pull back. "Regardless, I am grateful to meet you."

She was far from flattered. "Why is that?"

When he finally let go, he took a step back and gave out a tiny sigh. "Because now, I know to whom I'm giving admission to search the Midgar ruins."

His words were far from what they were expecting. It was highly recommended that no one pass through the ruins, and even without the warning, not many people dared to trek through dark and lost memories. Lightning felt more perturbed about his motives.

"What?"

Cloud was familiar with his methods of manipulation and grew tired of them from the moment he became the president of his father's company. "What are you up to, Rufus?"

Casually turning around, Rufus walked over to the table close to the Turks. His hand nonchalantly sifted through the scattered papers, his eyes quickly glancing at details here and there. "The disappearances," he reminded Cloud; after all, it was the main reason why Cloud made the trip in the first place. "We've kept tabs on the information passed through the WRO. After all, we _are_ the ones funding their research."

In an instant, Lightning felt like she was losing her sight of the world. Since the WRO was overall a substitute organization, they had to get the money _somewhere_, and with the mega conglomerate of Shinra now gone, it wasn't hard to comprehend.

"So you're saying that my paychecks are coming from you?" she asked with a hint of disgust. It wasn't appealing to think that her job depended on the very people who almost destroyed the land and ruined the lives of many others.

"Don't tell me you're not pleased with the wages." Though his tone of voice sounded hurt, Lightning had already figured that Rufus wasn't one to give much care about the welfare of others. Even if his overall intentions are meant to benefit everyone for the greater good, his mannerisms and presence left much to be desired.

Like the flick of a switch, Rufus simply shrugged and turned back to the window in his original position. "Anyway, I have a request for you two."

Cloud was tired of being a pawn for him and his company. "Not interested," he growled, though the president continued on. "Besides, we're only here for answers."

"The answers you seek will be found with the request." Rufus knew it was a task Cloud wouldn't be able to refuse, especially when his own goal was along the way. "Countless archives and records are still deep within Midgar – information that not even I have laid eyes on. I believe that the data in the ruins may be crucial to figuring out who's behind these disappearances."

"And now you want us to go get them." Cloud nodded toward Tseng with contempt. "I thought that was the Turks' job."

"They lack the strength and finesse of an original SOLDIER operative." His tone was apologetic as to not offend his direct subordinates in earshot distance.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as a scowl appeared on his face. The experience he went through years ago wasn't exactly something he liked to bring up so lightly. "I'm not—"

"But you certainly are capable, are you not? After all, you'll probably be needed to protect Miss Farron." He turned to see the shock and worry in the young woman's eyes, and the expression on his own face was one of grimness. "You need to look out for yourself – it seems that whoever's behind all this…is after you."

Despite her distaste in the man, Lightning took his words to heart, and it was almost enough to plunge her heart into despair. She put the pieces together in her head before gasping with fright. "People are disappearing…because of me." No one had this large amount of missing people before she appeared in the Sector 5 church, and now that she had been humbly living with everyone else in Edge, the other residents had to worry about their lost loved ones, fearing if they were dead or impossible to find.

"Well, I'm sure it's just one of their side schemes," he speculated halfheartedly; Rufus barely gave a care as to how this revelation affected Lightning. "These two problems shouldn't be codependent. Still, you seem to be of top priority to these strangers."

She couldn't bear the thought that she may be linked to the disappearances. If there was anything she could do to fix things, she planned to definitely get the job done. Making her resolve, Lightning nodded with confidence. "We'll go."

Perturbed, Cloud grabbed her arm and pulled her to stand behind him. "No, we won't." He glared at Rufus, feeling as if he was becoming someone's puppet again. "Send your hounds to do your dirty work," he said while nodding to Tseng again. The leader of the Turks chuckled to himself at how much he was being degraded. "She's got nothing to do with this…and you lack proof."

Rufus wasn't amused at how difficult Cloud was becoming. "Miss Farron's been in a few too many accidents, am I right?" His words were firm and head-on; he was well aware of the predicaments Lightning had found herself in and easily concluded the worst. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe...they were more like incidences?"

It all made sense, though drawing closer to the truth didn't make Lightning feel any better. She was a prime target, and sooner or later, her pursuers were going to catch up if she wasn't careful.

"It's _your_ company - _your_ data," Cloud growled. "You should know something."

With a sigh, Rufus shook his head and frowned one last time. "It seems we won't reach a mutual understanding."

Panicking, Lightning tried to move around Cloud to face Rufus. "No, it's fine. I'll—"

She was cut off as Cloud grabbed her arm once again and turned to head to the door. When he opened it and got the both of them out, he turned back for one last moment to glare at the president, though it was unsure if he was truly directing his anger at Rufus. "She's got nothing to do with the missing people," he said firmly before closing the door behind him. Lightning watched him with a gaping mouth as he led them down the stairs and toward the motorcycle, his grip firm so that she wouldn't try to go back.

"Cloud, Rufus may be on to something."

When he let go of her arm, he banged a tight fist on Fenrir, unable to contain the frustration that threatened to be set loose. "Ignore him," he insisted when he turned around. The creases on his forehead were prominent. "The guy likes to hear himself talk - just like his old man."

"But think about it: Nibelheim and Corel…" Knitting her eyebrows together, Lightning shook her head. "They're definitely after me, or maybe even you or Tifa. Don't you think we should look into it?" Once she got the slightest hint of danger, she was never one to just let it slide and hope for things to turn out for the better. She had to make sure everyone's safety was a top priority, even if her own well-being was on the line.

"Things like that happen all the time," Cloud tried to reason, as if she was overthinking things. "Especially in the mountains."

Lightning huffed as it was her turn to clench her hands into fists. "It's not natural!" The incident in Nibelheim may have truly been caused by the storm, but she was sure she was ambushed while observing the trails in Mt. Corel. She was far too familiar with the sound of gunshots and how the bullets blasted into the rocks from a distance. If it weren't for the steep ledges, she wouldn't have fallen down into the lower terrain and try to climb back up a few hours later. Even when she was blinded by anger at the time, Lightning definitely knew that whoever attacked her was following her for a while before then.

"I'm just saying we should consider the possibility," she tried to say in a calmer voice, but it didn't stop the wave of anguish from washing over Cloud's features.

"What possibility?" he challenged with disbelief. Shaking his head, he raised his hands to hold the sides of her face, making her see how troubled he was with the subject. "That there's something out there that'll take you away from me?"

She never thought about it that way, and it finally dawned on her how he would be affected if she recklessly ran into a battlefield without complete info on the other side. From the beginning, he didn't want her to disappear; it must have been difficult to keep her out of harm's way while she constantly tried to fight on her own. Likewise, Lightning didn't want to imagine being torn from his side, and she finally shook her head fervently.

"Don't go there," she almost said in a whisper. Torn, she raised her hand to place atop of his.

"Then don't go running into trouble," Cloud emphasized as he looked into her eyes. When she nodded, he sighed while pulling her close to bury his face in her hair. The threat of Lightning disappearing from his side was finally becoming prominent, and the longer they stood around, hoping for it to all somehow go away, the closer the danger crept. It was going to be hard to adjust their daily routines, but he assured himself that it was for the better if it meant Lightning's safety was ensured. "I'll work things out with Rufus, so whatever you do, don't go to Midgar."

Even when she told him she wouldn't, it wasn't in Lightning's nature to just stay put. She had to find the answers as soon as possible, for whatever threatened to rip her away from Cloud was coming fast. After having to leave behind people she cared about once, Lightning sure wasn't ready to leave Cloud behind…not if she could do something about it.

* * *

**Finally, some plot development! I'm so sorry if it's been pissing people off, but I just wanted the story a little more stretched. See y'all on Tuesday!**


	20. I'll Chop Them Off

**I'll Chop Them Off**

Although Cloud intended for things to turn out for the better, Lightning only felt more and more caged within the city limits of Edge. After he had a very long conversation with Reeve, most of Midgar Area Patrol was assigned to the fields while the remaining few accompanied Lightning in the streets. Every hour by the hour, he would call and check up on her position to make sure she didn't leave Edge, and though she tried to answer in a calm fashion, the team around her heard the obvious strain as she tried to beat down her frustration.

"Why is Mr. Strife keeping the captain in Edge lockdown, again?" Vic asked Rose as they worriedly watched Lightning keep up with her conversation on her phone.

"You think I'd know?" Rose replied while throwing her hands up. "The last thing I wanna do is ask her about it. You know how easy it is for her to blow a fuse."

When the conversation ended, she snapped her phone shut and let out a heavy sigh, tired of keeping up the meaningless dispute. Lightning knew Cloud meant well in his efforts to keep her safe, but it was never in her nature to sit back and do nothing. By the time she was fifteen, she was already responsible enough to look after her younger sister, and she hadn't even graduated from high school yet.

'_He only said Midgar,'_ she internally growled to herself. _'Why the hell can't I take just one step out of Edge?'_ Before she was able to get any bright ideas, Cloud called to alert her that he was almost back from his delivery and soon be able to go with her through her street patrol. It didn't excite her in the least, considering it was only in the city.

From behind her, Rose approached nervously with hopes of mercy. "Uh, captain?" She breathed out a small sigh when Lightning turned around with a somewhat calm face. "We should start our shifts now."

With a shake of her head, Lightning cleared her mind and nodded to her team. Just when she turned to the main plaza, however, she noticed two familiar faces approaching her, one of them with a casual smirk that made her grimace. The fiery red hair was impossible to forget, though she wished she never knew who it belonged to: the ever cynical Reno of the Turks. Beside him, his partner Rude remained behind his dark sunglasses.

"Hey there, captain," Reno greeted with a mock salute. Lightning wasn't impressed as her aqua eyes glared with annoyance.

"You got a lot of guts showing up in front of me," she hissed as her hand lowered toward her gunblade. Once she flicked the grip up, Reno's cool front melted away, and he held his hands up with caution.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy. I'm just here on the president's orders. Came to see if you decided to check Midgar yet."

As her team left for the daily duties, Lightning looked at Reno with scrutiny as a wild idea popped in her head. She knew Cloud was going to be far more than upset…but it was only _if_ he found out. "Yeah…and you're coming with me."

Reno halfheartedly shrugged. "All right. What about Cloud?"

"He's not coming," she stated firmly. "And he's not gonna know anything about it."

At that, the Turks instantly felt wary about making the trip. They never did much to anger Cloud, not that they tried to. "You sure about this?" Reno asked. "I'm sure he'll be pissed if—"

Before he could finish, Lightning stomped her way up to stand mere inches away from his face; she sent a deadly glare into his eyes, one that actually made Reno quiver while Rude was frozen beside him.

"You tell him," she started, "And I'll chop them off."

It was fairly simple to realize what she was referring to, and once he got it, Reno let out a bare whimper and instinctively crossed one leg over the other, the imaginative pain being too much to bear. He knew Lightning was good in using her strength as an incentive, but to threaten one's manhood presented a great risk he didn't want to take. Without taking too long to think, he and Rude feverishly nodded before taking a step back.

The Turks silently led her to their chopper just outside city limits, and Reno signaled with a twirl of his hand to start up the engine. He and Rude sat across from Lightning in the cabin as she crossed her arms and legs sternly; anxious as she was, she knew how to dampen it front of others.

Most of the ride consisted of the loud whirring of the engine, but in her head, Lightning was debating whether this was the right path to take. Of course, it was natural to try to settle the danger once and for all, but a part of her knew she should have listened and waited for Cloud. Betraying his trust was something she never planned to do; she hoped the excursion would be quick enough so she could return without his suspicion.

It was when they finally passed over the highway that the helicopter lurched at the sound of gunfire. Bullets whizzed everywhere, even reaching into the cabin and barely missing Lightning. Together with the Turks, she dove for the middle to avoid being a target, though with the jilted steering, they were soon to be in harm's way again. They tried to work along with the swaying chopper, but the pilot's frightened state of mind was a disadvantage.

"Get us to the ground now!" she screamed over the ear-splitting commotion. Even with the pilot's attempts to follow, they were too close to the bullets, and they needed to act fast before the engine was blown. Lightning pulled out the Blazefire Sabre and kept it in gun mode before placing her other hand on the chopper door. Nodding over to Reno and Rude, she sent a message that they easily understood, and they nodded back in response.

Once the rooftops of the slum buildings were visible, Lightning threw the door open and jumped out like an arrow, diving head first toward the closest building. When she was close enough, she maneuvered to make her feet land first before she rolled across the concrete. She looked up to see Reno and Rude landing not too far away. They grouped up after a couple of jumps over the roofs and looked back to the chopper, which was spinning to a devastating crash into an old reactor. Before Lightning decided to say her condolences to the pilot, she noticed him staggering on his feet a few rooftops over; it was a relief that no lost lives were on her conscience yet.

With Reno and Rude, she jumped her way over the rooftops, avoiding the barrage of bullets until they found access to a ground floor and away from the gunfire. They used the old Shinra office as a landmark and made their way through the alleys. When she saw a sharp turn to the office up ahead, Lightning stopped just at the corner, sliding down the wall of the building and knelt on one knee.

"I'd say this is an aborted mission," Reno wheezed as he finally caught up with Lightning. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath as she looked back to observe their status.

"It's over when I say it's over." Her voice brimmed with authority; now that they were in a battle zone, Lightning felt her old Guardian Corps character take control. She had no way of getting through the maze-like ruins on her own, especially not with people pursuing her. Seeing this through to the end was the only path, and she was more than willing to take it.

However, she still had to consider her only allies at the moment. With a huff, she turned back to them and kept her voice low. "If they have enough guns to shoot down the chopper, it'll be dumb to just stay in one spot for too long. I'll go first - take out as many of them as I can while charging straight to the Shinra building. What I need you two to do is finish off whatever I skip, so they don't go after me."

Reno looked at her as if she was insane. "Charge straight at them? And you're leaving us with leftovers?"

After shooting him an irritated gaze, she held her hand out to the alley they were about to charge through. "Do you want to take point?"

It didn't take him long to consider his options and shake his head nervously. "No, ma'am." Even if she was willing to charge into open fire, he definitely wasn't crazy enough to try.

"Then follow my lead," she hastily said before spinning around to sprint to the central Shinra building. There were a couple of more turns until Lightning finally met up with mysterious soldiers in a sector square. Clothed in full body suits, the handful of men wore helmets that concealed their heads, and technologically advanced visors acted as some sort of radar that looked like a single eye.

Nevertheless, Lightning bolted straight to them with amazing speed, quickly shooting the closest one in the head to get their attention. When their guns turned toward her, she somersaulted to avoid the bullets, landing right behind them before starting off into another sprint to the office. The soldiers turned around and unleashed their clips, but she did her best to get out of each of their paths in time. It wasn't long before Reno and Rude rushed up from behind to clobber them, with Reno using his rod and Rude utilizing his fists.

The commotion was sure to have echoed among the buildings, which meant Lightning had to move as fast as possible. More of the soldiers came running toward her in the alleyway, but by the time they appeared, she was close enough to kick the guns out of some of their hands. She quickly grabbed one of the disarmed enemies and pulled him in front of her just before his comrades fired at her, making him take the hits while aiming around him to shoot the rest of them down. Though some of them were only injured and still conscious, she continued on, eventually reaching a large plaza in front of the Shinra building.

More soldiers were stationed as patrol in the plaza, and Lightning shot at them as she ran up before flicking the Sabre into sword mode to finish them off. She incapacitated them in the shortest time possible, hoping to complete her mission soon…

But when she turned to continue her pursuit, the sound of hundreds of machine guns preparing for fire echoed off the buildings, and she could see the same kind of soldiers revealing themselves from their well-hidden positions all around the plaza. More of them even came out of the Shinra building and lined up in front to aim their guns at her. One step could have her put down in an instant.

Lightning growled to herself at her predicament; what she thought would be a success turned out to be a big failure, and it was going to end along with her life.

"Lower your weapon!" she heard a soldier from the front of the building shout. Even with her urge to run up and take them all out, she wouldn't even make it halfway to them. Lightning dropped her sword by her feet and placed her hands behind her head, in the meantime glaring at the one soldier that approached her from the line. She could sense him looking at her from head to toe, as if trying to identify her through his visor.

Suddenly, she heard him chuckle darkly. "Luckily, our target comes running to us."

Her eye twitched at his words – so Rufus' speculations were true, after all. When it was clear Vincent's words about her having a purpose on the Planet were true, it wasn't exactly exciting to know her purpose came with bad intentions. What if this group had something to do with her arrival? She considered a possible correlation between them and the mysterious 'chaos' that engulfed her on Pulse, but that meant having to go deeper into their lair…

And at this point, that plan seemed close to impossible.

Before the man could reach his hand out to her, a long whistle flew through the sky and the building to her right exploded, the soldiers stationed within it soaring out and crashing into whatever was in their path. The ground shook tremendously, but it had no effect on the new helicopter above their heads. In retaliation, the bullets now aimed themselves at the helicopter, giving Lightning the opportunity to stomp down on her sword; it flew up for her to catch in mid-jump. Once it was in her hand, she swung down to slash the soldier in front of her across the chest before kicking him away.

The helicopter drew closer to the plaza before Cloud jumped out from the cabin, the main blade and the hollow blade in either hand. When he landed, the opposing soldiers already redirected some of their fire to him, but he easily deflected them with the hollow blade. He rose the main blade high in the air as it glowed a deep blue hue, and in the shortest moment the bullets stopped, he brought it down to unleash a tremendous wave of energy toward the soldiers, speeding toward them like an unstoppable train. It collided into the Shinra building after ramming past the front line of soldiers, making dust and debris fly everywhere.

As the surprise attack brought confusion to those within the field, Lightning and Cloud darted to an enormous concrete boulder and shielded themselves behind it. Once he saw no harm had come to her, his eyes took on an intense glare while he locked the hollow blade onto the main blade.

"Can't sit still, can you?" he growled.

He reached behind for the rest of the blades in his holster, locking them in place on his sword. Lightning flipped her sword back to gun mode before giving a guilty shrug. "You know me."

Fishing out a green materia from his pocket, he settled it against his arm for a few moments before it was absorbed right into his skin. "Need materia?" Cloud glanced over to see her pull out similar orbs from her red pouch, pressing them against her skin to be absorbed simultaneously.

"I got it," she answered while her hand reached for the gunblade once more. Lightning nodded to Cloud as if they were on any normal kind of mission, but he didn't have time to voice his own opinion on the matter. Together, they ran out into the open, ready to make a strike on the soldiers that were too preoccupied with the circling helicopter. Elena was able to pilot with ease as Tseng shot with a sniper from the cabin.

Lightning ran up the closest soldier she could reach and cut him down to size with her sword; spinning on her heel, she saw more racing to her with their guns at the ready. Her hand curled into a tight fist before an electric blue mist cloaked it, and with a fierce wave of her arm, icicles shot out of her palm to pierce through the onslaught.

Meanwhile, Cloud charged straight up to their numbers, easily cutting his way through a few before jumping up to spin in a somersault. When he landed, he struck his sword onto the ground and allowed three waves of energy to disperse before him in a cone-like manner. The waves blasted through their defenses and knocked them clear out of the way; the soldiers were incapacitated in the blink of an eye.

As they fought on the ground and Tseng in the air, they gradually decimated the numbers. Some of them even retreated back into Shinra Headquarters while the rest of them met their demise. Cloud tried to rush to the building, hoping to find access to inside, but the remaining soldiers blocked his path to stay true to their faction. With a growl, Cloud ran his blade across their chests, throwing them away like dust in the wind. Once the second to last soldier was swept to the side, one of the side blades was quickly ejected from the sword, and Cloud easily grasped it in a backhand hold as he rushed up to the final enemy, who stumbled on the ground in fear.

Lightning shoved a soldier to the ground with her foot before glancing in their direction with shock. "Cloud, wait!"

Before his sword had a chance to slice straight through the man's neck, he stopped in place to look back at her with surprise. As she returned the gaze while catching her breath, Elena descended the chopper to let Tseng jump out of the cabin.

"Sir!"

He turned to see Reno and Rude sprint toward him, catching their breaths. "You sure took your time," he said in his usual apathetic manner.

Reno had a look of panic in his eyes as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, we were fighting our own battles, sir, back in the alleys on her orders."

"Our pilot's somewhere around here, director," Rude said, speaking up from his regular quiet demeanor.

"Elena's taking care of his wounds right now." Tseng motioned toward the chopper. The other two Turks turned their heads to see Elena kneeling in the cabin, tending to someone they couldn't see.

Tseng pulled out technologically advanced handcuffs from the chopper and tossed them over to Cloud, who caught them before gruffly pulling the soldier's arms behind him. As he slipped the man's hands through the cuff, Lightning kept her Sabre aimed at the mysterious helmet in its gun mode. Her eyes blazed with anticipation, far too eager to finally get the answers she was searching for.

"Who's your boss?" she quizzed while Cloud got back up and stood next to her.

Despite the many enemies surrounding him, the soldier simply cackled beneath his helmet, not even bothering to struggle against the binds. Cloud and Lightning exchanged worried glances.

"I'm not afraid to die," he spat out with confidence. "For I am one of many. We're not even the strongest of our branch. The Tsviets will find you and finish what they started."

Lightning's hand trembled along with the gunblade; today's battle was just the prelude to something much greater, and it was all going to come after her. Her eyes darted to Shinra Headquarters in front of them, peering into the pitch black hallway that hid an infinite amount of secrets. If she acted quickly, they would all get the answers they needed. Lightning didn't want to return to Edge while potentially leading the danger back to Marlene, Denzel, and the rest of the population.

She looked back at their captive, who remained silent behind his helmet in ominous silence. While his words rang clearly through everyone's ears, Tseng was the first to decide to take action.

"We'll take him into custody. Perhaps with some persuasion, we could—"

A faint whistle caught Lightning and Cloud's ears before the ultimate shatter of glass and metal, and there was an underlying popping sound that made them glance back to the soldier. Upon where his forehead should be, there was a small hole bored through the helmet, a dying gasp leaking through it while he swayed from his spot. As he collapsed lifelessly to the ground, Lightning, Cloud, and the Turks spun on their heels with fright, and soon more bullets landed all around them.

Cloud grabbed Lightning's arm and threw her behind him, attempting to use his body as a shield against the onslaught. Despite killing off their last enemy, these newcomers surely weren't on their side. The Turks pulled out their pistols and started shooting toward the rooftops, tracking the bullets' paths to be coming from that direction. Waving a hand behind him, Tseng motioned the two non-members to make a run for the helicopter, which seemed to be out of the enemies' target range for the moment.

Acting quickly, Cloud and Lightning made a dash for it and climbed into the cabin, with Reno and Rude following immediately before Tseng. "Elena, take us up!" he yelled to the cockpit. In almost no time at all, the engine started up and hoisted them up in the air a little too fast, but they didn't have the time to be extremely careful. The bullets continued to follow them up into the sky until they passed city limits, and Elena lowered the speed to a reasonable setting.

Reno and Rude let out exasperated sighs of relief while Lightning took deep breaths with a hand on her chest. Inside her chest, there was an endless pounding that echoed in her ears; she had gotten so close to her goal, only to be pulled back to the beginning in the blink of an eye. Looking beside her, she found Cloud pinching the bridge of his nose while his forehead creased immensely.

"Lightning."

She looked back at Tseng, who had finished tending to the original pilot.

"Were you able to find anything?"

She shook her head with disappointment. "No…"Just then, she moved to the edge of her seat, leaning toward him with eagerness that only came with the true spirit of a soldier. "We'll need to go into the building itself; even if we catch another one of those guys, it'll take forever to make him talk. How soon can we make a second strike?"

At that question, Cloud's eyes snapped open before seething with chagrin. He glared at Tseng, who directed his attention to the source of rage that suffocated the cabin. "We're not going back in," he said in a hard and clear voice.

Lightning glanced over her shoulder to look at him with confusion. "Cloud, we have to—"

"No, we don't." The words were absolute, and the look on his face wasn't going to be deterred so easily, if it was possible to do so at all. Even when she held his eyes questioningly, Cloud stood his ground and refused to relent.

Giving up, Lightning sighed and turned her gaze to the window, where the Shinra building was now drifting far away. Just when she thought today was going to help clear up the questions that plagued her mind, it was only augmented by so many more mysteries she wished to solve. At first, it was believed that the soldiers were hindering the search for answers…when in reality, they led her to the truth more quickly than she expected.

The moment the helicopter touched down onto the ground just outside of Edge, Cloud jumped off with Lightning closely behind. He started detaching the blades from his sword and tucking them in the holster when Reno and Rude hurried to catch up.

"C'mon, Spiky," Reno called out as if they were the best of pals. Cloud remained silent and stiff as he trudged on, the rage that was seeping off his back still blatantly ignored by the Turk. Even when Rude placed a hand on Reno's shoulder to try and pull him back, his partner just shrugged him off. "Nothing will get solved by just—"

He was cut off by an abrupt fist to the face, which forced him to reel back as the largest headache emerged. As Rude caught Reno from falling to the ground, Lightning quickly moved to shove against Cloud's shoulder, hoping to keep him from doing any more damage. But all he did was growl with agitation before turning back to storm into Edge. None of the civilians dared to get in his way or even get caught in his peripheral sight; as soon as he was seen, they all froze or moved out of his path.

Once he stepped into the bar, he sighed heavily and rubbed his closed eyes with his thumb and index finger. It was difficult to handle the immense wave of emotions he never though he had to deal with again. Cloud was amazed he could still stand after the day's events; when he returned to find Tseng and Elena looking for the others earlier, it was a clear sign that something bad was going to happen.

He just didn't think that Lightning would _let_ it unfold so easily.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Reeve. I'll be able to work tomorrow."

As he heard Lightning come in the bar from behind him, Cloud set the main blade to lean against one of the tables while walking a little further into the bar. Lightning hung up her phone and tucked it away, her mind lost in the intriguing thoughts of her foiled plans.

"That was reckless," Cloud said quietly through gritted teeth. Neither of them noticed Tifa and the children in the back room, who silently tuned after noticing them come home.

Lightning gently tapped a finger against her lower lip, still trying to put the countless pieces together to get a bigger view of things. "Well, at least we know _something's_ going on at Midgar," she speculated with such an ease of mind. Cloud tiredly shook his head as he turned on his heel to face her.

"Do you even remember what I said?"

Finally taking in the rage displayed on his face, Lightning just sighed and lowered her arms to her sides. The attitude was to be expected, and she was prepared to retaliate in the nicest manner possible…at least, the nicest according to her. "Did you really think I was going to sit around and do nothing? Anyway, they were guarding the building with pretty good defenses. That was the old Shinra Headquarters, wasn't it?" She didn't wait for a response. "Maybe Rufus was right – there could be some data down there to help us against whoever those people are. We should go back—"

The clattering of chairs falling to the ground echoed throughout the building; like a domino effect, they collapsed on their sides across the tables from the starting point of Cloud's trembling hand. Not only did Lightning feel like jumping out of her skin, but so did the others as they watched from the back room, doing what they could to not make a sound. At first, it seemed like Cloud didn't realize the little wreck he created, but once he did, he sighed heavily and slammed a tight fist onto the closest tabletop.

Lightning caught sight of the others emerging from the back room and her eyes flitted to the stairs – a gesture that Tifa knew too well. Whispering quietly into Denzel and Marlene's ears, she led them upstairs without making too much sound.

"What is wrong with you?" Lightning asked with disbelief as she turned back to Cloud.

With a scoff, he shook his head while turning back to face her, as if all logic had escaped her. "It's like walking right into a mouse trap," he said in a low and straining voice. "Lightning, those guys are after you."

She thought she knew where this argument was coming from; Lightning tried to simply shake it off as unreasonable doubt and lighten the mood. "Come on, I can do this. Back on Cocoon, I was sent on a hell of a lot more dangerous missions than today."

All her reasoning did was anger Cloud even more – as if it was a legitimate excuse for going off on her own. "Yeah, 'cause no way Guardian Corps could take your behavior for too long," he retorted while looking away. It felt like he was lecturing a child…

Which Lightning could easily sense, too. At first, she didn't want to believe the intention behind his words, but how else could one take the remark?

Once Cloud realized how harmful his words sounded, he turned back worriedly to see her expression. She worked hard to hide the pain and frustration on her face, but it wasn't enough; she never thought he would chide her for her strong independent nature, only to label it as immaturity. If Cloud really had no faith in her capabilities, it was a miracle he stayed with Lightning after all this time.

Controlling her emotions, Lightning gritted her teeth and exhaled sharply. "No wonder you've suffered so much," she hissed acidly. "You don't let people in to help…because you don't trust them." Giving no chance to respond, she left him to watch her storm out of the bar, no particular destination settling in her mind.

She only traveled a few blocks when the tiny hint of regret finally amplified enough to weigh down on her shoulders. Turning into an alley, she slammed her back against the side of the building before sliding down to the ground. Lightning hugged her knees close to her chest, and her nails dug frustratingly into her calves in an attempt to control the rage that threatened to tear her apart.

'_Way to go, idiot,'_ she thought to herself. _'How could you have said that to __**him**__?'_ It was so easy to be blinded by her ruthlessness and pain that she misdirected her own faults to Cloud. He wasn't the one that was distrustful…

It was her.

How could she break his spirit by carelessly reminding him of his sufferings? Before it was too late, Lightning couldn't see that she was slipping back to her old ways – to the woman that pushed others away when she actually needed them the most.

If she had only believed Serah when she revealed her status as a l'Cie, she and her friends wouldn't have gone through so much pain, and she wouldn't have to regret missing the chance of making amends. Maybe she _was_ like a child for failing to see the error in her choice of words. Just like how she was back on Cocoon, she blindly charged into danger to avoid the possible truth – that something intentionally brought her to the Planet, and sooner or later, it was going to rip her away from the people she cared about again.

With a heavy sigh, she ran a hand through her pink hair. If there was any way to forgive her reckless attitude, Lightning was pretty damn sure Cloud wouldn't consider it as an option. Perhaps the best course of action now was to give it all up…

* * *

He slowly picked the chairs back up, his mind lost in a far different subject. The anger didn't dissipate in the slightest bit; Cloud couldn't remember the last time he had felt so furious and helpless at the same time.

Not long after Lightning took off from the bar, logic and reasoning started to come back to his head, making him internally scold himself as he tiredly sat down at one of the tables. Cloud slouched deep into the chair and ran a hand over his face. Even when it stressed him to see her running off on her own, there was something about her spontaneous courses of action that sparked warmth inside him. Of course, it would only be much later when he realized he had seen such restlessness somewhere before.

Back when he was just a Shinra infantryman, Cloud would notice how Zack was so willing to go to the SOLDIER training rooms with his mentor, Angeal Hewley, and then on his own after the great First Class defected from Shinra. Even when Genesis and Angeal left SOLDIER, Zack still maintained his determined personality…which Cloud had admired from the beginning.

How could he discourage Lightning from being similar? Even if he wanted to keep her safe, it wouldn't be right to keep her from being who she really was. Cloud slammed a fist onto the table; despite wanting to have her in his arms at that very moment, he wasn't sure if he had the right to do so anymore.

Getting up with sluggish movements, he went outside and revved his motorcycle before taking off. There was no set destination on his mind; all he wanted to do was lose himself in the drive, and hopefully, it would be enough to escape reality even if was only temporary.

* * *

**Hope everyone had a fun Christmas! I didn't want to update at the beginning of the day and take some family time away :p Besides, I was hella busy with my own agenda. Anyhoo, c ya lata!**


	21. They're Pretty Damn Ruthless

**They're Pretty Damn Ruthless**

The past two weeks hadn't been easy for the residents in 7th Heaven. Lightning had gone back to staying in her original room, but even so, Cloud only rarely came home. Whenever he did, it was strictly for business, and during the very few times he saw Lightning, they quickly looked the other way and didn't say a single word to each other. Tifa didn't feel like intervening this time, for she knew they were bothered by very sensitive subjects that she had no place in; nonetheless, she still tried to interact with them as normally as possible.

Lightning couldn't uphold her pleasant and calm attitude from before, even in the presence of Marlene and Denzel. The slightest incident could bear the risk of ticking her off, and when it did, she isolated herself from everyone else, sometimes even strictly pushing her WRO teams to their limits.

"Hey, Light!" Marlene bustled into Lightning's room one night with a rather large box of fireworks. "You wanna watch me and Denzel burn some of these in the back alley?"

At the little coffee table near her window, Lightning looked up from some papers with a wry smile. "Sorry, kiddo. I have to complete these forms for a convoy coming from Junon. Maybe next time." She didn't bother to see Marlene's reply before turning back to the papers, her eyebrows tightly knitted together as her posture became tense.

Every now and then, she would hear a distant rumble outside her window, and she'd freeze to think if it was actually him. Lightning craned her neck to listen more intently, but after a few more seconds, nothing would happen. She heavily sighed when it was close to bedtime for the kids; it was stupid to keep her hopes up and wish that he finally came home to talk to her.

Why would he try to make contact to begin with? Her words from their last argument were more than enough to cut off all ties with her. Looking across the table, she caught a glimpse of the earring that she hadn't worn for the past two weeks, and it made her heart sink even deeper. Now more than ever, Lightning wanted Cloud to come home, to hold him again and make everything okay. The clenched hand on her lap trembled with anxiety, going against what her mind ordered her body to do. Little by little, just getting through the regular day was tiring, and it wouldn't be long before she could no longer take it.

The loud ring of her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. With another sigh, she flipped it open after checking the caller ID and held it up to her ear. "Reeve."

"Lightning," he greeted on the other end, his voice a little urgent. "Do you have time tomorrow?"

"Yeah. What is it?" She dropped her pen and listened intently, knowing that something bad was coming up.

"Wutai troops have reported activity at Fort Tamblin in the south end of Wutai Island. It's supposed to be long deserted since the war against Shinra; not even the natives pass by there."

Lightning's eyebrows knitted together. "You think it's those soldiers we fought back in Midgar?"

Reeve sighed on the other end. "I don't know what to expect," he admitted. "Anyway, I'd like you to fly over to Wutai and search the fort. And don't worry – I called Cloud. A separate aircraft is picking him up from Cosmo Canyon."

As soon as he mentioned the name, Lightning faintly groaned and dropped her forehead onto the arm resting on the table. For the operation to go smoothly, she would have to cooperate with this unexpected addition…and she was sure it would all end in disaster.

After hanging up, her fingers glided over the table to reach the earring, grazing a tip over the engraved wolf. _'Cosmo Canyon…'_ It wasn't hard to believe that he intentionally put such large distance to make sure they had little contact as possible. Thinking that he was this infuriated demolished her inside, and she had to take a quick swipe across her face to get rid of a treacherous tear. If only she could go back in time, she would have stopped herself from foolishly going to Midgar with Reno and Rude. It felt like a piece of her was lost and suffering because of her choices…

And it was hard to say if it would ever return.

* * *

Before the helicopter could touch the ground, Lightning already jumped out and landed on the grassy field. She used her hand to shield her eyes from the whipping hair as she noticed a separate aircraft approaching. Her helicopter quickly moved out of the way and flew back to the Western Continent; the approaching one slowly drifted to the ground before Lightning. Once the door slid open, Cloud revealed himself and hopped out with his swords tucked away in the holster on his back.

Lightning did her best to pay him as little attention as possible, and she had to fold her arms across her chest to avoid wanting to wrap them around him. The strong undeniable impulse began exploding in her chest, and it grew with every moment she spent watching him, despite the hard and serious mask he wore on his face. Before Cloud had a chance to glance toward her face, she spun on her heel and started the trek through the mountains.

"Let's get this over with," Lightning muttered as soon as the chopper could no longer drown out their voices. To her surprise, Cloud didn't say a word, but instead simply followed her as she drew closer to the set of towers she presumed to be the abandoned Fort Tamblin.

They completed just about half of the walk, jumping over small cliffs and maneuvering past dangerous gaps, when Cloud finally spoke up from behind her. "How are the others?" he asked passively.

She glanced over her shoulder for a short second, surprised that he would actually try to make small talk with her. When it seemed like he wasn't making a big deal out of it, Lightning turned back around and continued walking. "They're fine."

Soon enough, her mind was racing with paranoia: was he all right? Was he thinking of trusting her again? Even if she tried to apologize for what she did, Lightning was certain he wouldn't dare to give it another try. After all the misunderstandings before this incident, no one in their right mind would want to forgive and forget all over again…not if they mind being cruelly harmed by her foolish choices.

Getting lost in her thoughts proved to be costly, for her feet suddenly flew out from under her, heading toward the long drop from their high altitude down to the jagged rocks on the ground floor. Lightning gasped with fright; everything fell silent for a quick second. Her hands shot out to try and grab anything, to keep her from plunging into swift peril.

Despite her assumption that it was the end, her arm was strongly pulled back, hauling the rest of her body back onto the slim path they were travelling on. The only things that fell were shifted pebbles and stones, and her face was buried in warm soft cotton. Lightning took deep breaths to steady her racing heart, tightly gripping the arms that tightly wrapped around her. Gazing upward, she saw the deep glow in Cloud's eyes, which were filled with uneasiness similar to hers.

"Thanks," she breathed out. Together, they froze in the close proximity, with her hands gently pressing against his chest as she continued looking into his eyes. It took a while for Cloud to recollect his thoughts before dropping his arms to his sides.

"Sure thing," he muttered, and with a quick shuffle, he maneuvered around Lightning to take the lead. Now that he led the walk, Cloud threw a few glances over his shoulder, needlessly checking to see if she was still following. He gripped his hands tightly to beat down the desire to wrap his arms around her again, though just being close to her didn't really help.

"I'm surprised Reeve asked you to do something like this," he remarked as they crossed the last bridge toward the fort.

Lightning quietly scoffed. "Well, I'm positive my behavior's been good these past few weeks."

Within moments, she realized how cold her words had sounded and where her choice of words came from. As she felt her spine prickle and her face turn cold, she carefully glanced toward Cloud out of the corner of her eye. Lightning noticed how rigid his shoulders were; the small break in his stride wasn't hard to miss. Their trek over the bridge seemed to grow colder with every step, and she finally decided that she had enough of it.

"Cloud—"

"No, forget it," he said instantly, refusing to change the matter at hand. "Let's keep going."

Instead, Lightning stopped at the very end, remaining on the swaying bridge as Cloud finally stepped off. "Can you just hear me out?" she pled exasperatedly.

At her tone, he turned around with a pained expression. Cloud hated to see that frustration on her face again, but it was difficult to know where to start amends. "Light, there could be danger here. We should focus." It was definitely the wrong place to talk things through, and he was far from ready to setting things straight. Even so, delaying the inevitable seemed to discourage Lightning even more, and when he saw the sadness grow on her face and in her stance, a part of him wished he could have gone back in time to sew his mouth shut.

It was hard to believe that one incident could have led to this unbearable strain. They allowed anger to get the best of both of them, pushing them to the point of losing one another.

But Lightning wasn't willing to let that happen. Not with Cloud.

"I know, but I really wanna—"

A gunshot came from above their heads, and something whizzed past them to bore a hole into the planks at Lightning's feet. Easily recognizing it, she pulled out her gunblade and aimed it toward the cliffs above their heads. Cloud's hand whipped back to pull out the main blade from his holster, his eyes scouring the area for possible nooks and crannies that someone could hide in.

Dark figures suddenly revealed themselves on the cliffs and sent a barrage of bullets down in their direction. As Lightning did her best to jump onto solid ground, Cloud used his sword to deflect the bullets aimed at him before grabbing her arm.

"Let's go!"

They quickly ran down the only path available to them as Lightning tried to shoot at their pursuers. Despite the ambush, none of the enemies seemed to make any close contact and instead tried to attack from a distance. Lightning easily thought it was a cowardly of them, but what was even more humiliating was that she was forced to run from these gutless strangers.

Before she could wretch her arm free and protest, a fierce creature pounced as they rounded a sharp corner, slamming into Cloud to force him to the ground. He was able to let go of Lightning to keep her from falling with them, but there was nothing to help alleviate the fall, for his arms found themselves busy fending the creature off. It had a helmet just like the strange soldiers they were running from, and its movements seemed too nimble for an average canine.

While it tried to take a bite out of Cloud's face, Lightning brought her gunblade up and held it across her chest when she saw another dog-like creature rushing up toward her, and she had an easier time wrestling with it after it tackled her to the ground. As it threw a few sharp snaps to her face, she used her folded Saber to hold it off at a distance by shoving it against the creature's neck. Lightning waited for the opportune moment to shove the creature to the side, and she quickly rolled on top while holding it down with one hand. It squirmed relentlessly in her grasp, but her Saber was soon pointing to the creature's head, and she fired off two shots to end its life.

Wasting no time, she quickly raised her arm up to fire a shot into the other creature's head, making it lifelessly fall upon Cloud with no threat. As he tiredly heaved it off of him, Lightning got to her feet and rushed in mid-run to pull him up. Together, they continued down the trail, easily shooting down and slicing at the other hounds they encountered.

The trail soon led into a gorge, with the fort sitting at the very end. With no other choice available, Lightning and Cloud ran through the ravine, but a high-pitched hum was approaching them at a tremendous rate from behind. Following them in was one of the mysterious soldiers on a strange hover bike, intent on getting up to their heels.

"Move!" Cloud shouted as he dove for the side and out of the vehicle's path…but Lightning stood her ground. Spinning on her heel, she prepared herself as the hover bike drew closer, and before it could ram into her with great force, she somersaulted high into the air. The soldier on the bike whizzed straight past below her; he craned his neck up to see Lightning whip out her weapon before he was shot dead in the forehead. As she landed nimbly on her feet, the soldier's body went limp before his vehicle skidded and tumbled on the ground, throwing him a little ways farther than from where it stopped.

Lightning and Cloud regrouped, letting out small sighs of relief…but their reprieve was short-lived, for a similar hum of engines was heard not too far back from where the original hover bike arrived. Thinking quickly, Lightning nodded toward the hover bike just a few feet away.

"Can you drive that?"

Cloud pressed his lips tightly together before nodding. "Yeah, but I won't be able to fight."

With a flick of her wrist, she extended the Blazefire Saber into sword mode and pointed to Cloud's holster on his back. "Just hand me one of the smaller ones."

He looked at her with confusion. "What?"

"Hurry!"

It was wise to take off toward the bike at her urgency, for as soon as they did, the hover bikes emerged from where they came from, bolting toward them with guns at the ready. Before they reached the hover bike, Cloud reached back and took a side blade to toss, and Lightning caught it with ease in mid-run.

He flipped the bike upright and waited until the both of them were settled in before dashing toward Fort Tamblin. Behind him, Lightning held the blades in either hand, and she watched over her shoulder as the other hover bikes approached with high speed. She noticed the soldier on the closest one pulling out a machine gun and preparing for aim; her gunblade instantly flipped into gun mode and shot at the soldier's vehicle, forcing it to crash and block the path of many other comrades. Two more hover bikes rapidly came up to either side of Cloud and Lightning, pulling out their own guns. Lightning brought her gunblade back forward to shoot the one on their right side down, but it left the other side open for attack. Luckily, her swift movements utilized the side blade as a shield to deflect the bullets before ultimately cutting the other soldier down along with his hover bike.

Before they were able to reach Fort Tamblin, Cloud noticed a slope that he had to leap off of before landing in front of the fort. Revving the engine, he and Lightning braced themselves for the jump, and as they flew through the air for a short moment, all gravity was lost until the hover bike heavily landed on the ground. Cloud skidded to a quick stop and turned the vehicle around to face the ramp they just took off from; the other engines were drawing near, and it was clear their pursuers were going to attempt the jump as well.

Lightning brought her feet up on her seat and somersaulted over Cloud before leaping off the handle bars in front of him. Shooting like an arrow, she went straight for the slope, flying toward two more hover bikes that came and drove off of it like them. She crossed her arms before her, and when the soldiers on the mid-air bikes came close enough, Lightning exerted enough force to extend her arms out and twirl in a spiral movement. The blades ripped through the engines of the hover bikes just as they passed each other. As she landed on her feet just below the slope, the soldiers on their vehicles were consumed in explosions in mid-air, and the debris fell on either side of Cloud, barely missing him.

He dismounted the hover bike and motioned for Lightning to regroup with him. As she sprinted back to his position, the rest of the soldiers jumped off of the slope and moved their hover bikes to circle around the two. Once the side blade was returned to Cloud, he attached it back onto his completely assembled sword, and he held it at the ready while standing back to back with Lightning, who aimed her gun mode weapon at their enemies.

"Any ideas?" she asked over her shoulder.

Cloud lightly scoffed. "I thought your plan was to charge in, guns blazing."

His words made Lightning chuckle to herself. It seemed like only yesterday when she heard the exact same words from the ever hot-headed Snow. Thinking it through, Cloud was right in a way – she had been so eager to get things done lately that she barely had time to make a strategy. Doing the same thing again now would be reckless and surely disappointing to him; it wasn't the time to be butting heads.

"Got a Plan B?"

"Don't get caught," he warned her in a serious tone that caught her by surprise. "They're after you."

The reminder was enough to get it through her head: one mistake and everything would go downhill. She wasn't too excited to know of their plans for her at the moment, and they surely weren't going to be to her liking.

When the hover bikes slowed to crawls, more soldiers emerged from the fortress' main gates and towers, prepared for an assault against the newcomers. Some of them were bulkier in size and even held dangerous weapons that could easily take down a large group of combatants. There were too many to risk making the first strike, and the two of them were sure to be gunned down within a matter of seconds.

Back in Midgar, Lightning had no chance of going up against all those soldiers alone…but now that Cloud was with her, she knew they would make it through this fight. Luckily, she remembered to bring along the long-forgotten Grav-Con Unit she kept stored away back at the bar, having never been used since the Hanging Edge on Cocoon. With a quick snap of her fingers, an electric blue transparent sheet swept over her body just before she lunged toward one of the hover bikes with inhuman speed, knocking its rider off with a single kick. She swiftly aimed her gun to the soldier on the bike behind her and shot him down before anyone else had a chance to react.

Cloud saw her pass by on the hover bike in the circle, and her movements were harder to track than usual. Whatever she was using sure gave them an advantage as well as the element of surprise. Nevertheless, he took it as his cue to get going, leaping out of the circle and raising his sword high above his head before bringing it down on the soldiers in front of the fort. While he was still cutting his way through their numbers, Lightning had already finished off the riders and her modified gravity field wore off. It was tedious to just fight his way through the grunts, leading Cloud to twirl his sword in his hand and hold it behind him as one of the soldiers charged forward. Before any gunshot was fired, he brought his sword down in front, precisely hitting the soldier in time and knocking him back to slam into the others. They crashed into the building, sending dust and debris flying all around, but it acted as a cloak to inevitably reveal the larger troops with the rocket launchers and explosives.

Lightning finished the enemies within her reach in an efficient amount of time for her to notice the troops prepare their arsenal. Considering the distance between them, she wouldn't be able to stop them in time from firing. Her eyes quickly traced their line of sight...and the blood immediately drained from her face.

"Cloud, watch out!"

Her feet immediately dashed toward him and the soldiers he fended off, but at that moment, the larger troops released their missiles. The pods spiraled through the air, letting out the briefest of whistles that seemed to have reached Cloud's ears; after he struck one final soldier down, his head turned a short degree to see the missiles land before him.

Dirt and debris sprayed everywhere along with flailing bodies, and eardrums were on the edge of bursting before everything turned into a muffled hum. Lightning flew back and rolled roughly across the ground, her head striking something sharp enough to cut into her forehead. When she skidded to a stop, she fought to catch her breath and lift her head, finding the field in much disarray.

"Cloud..."

Near the cliff they had just jumped from, he laid sprawled and unconscious, his sword lying not too far from open hand. Before Lightning had a chance to move, more of the soldiers already began to converge on his limp form, and rage instantly filled her.

Reaching for the gunblade, she hauled herself up to her feet and fired an endless round of bullets, distracting them in time from reaching Cloud. After their numbers greatly reduced to the ones still in the fort, Lightning dropped to her knees next to Cloud and pulled him up in her embrace. Several cuts already developed on his body, including his face; just the sight of them drove Lightning's mind into frenzy. She winced at the feel of blood reaching her eye, but for the moment, getting him to safety turned into a number one priority.

A stray bullet grazed her arm, prompting her to drop Cloud and hover over him. With a growl, she looked up to see the mysterious soldiers regrouping and preparing to corner them. Lightning reached for the Blazefire Saber and began shooting the troops, taking out some but finding difficulty in the large armored ones. With every passing second, the chance of getting out of this mess grew smaller; she wouldn't be able to fight them off while getting Cloud to safety.

Just when she felt like giving up and tiredly dropped the Blazefire Saber on the ground, shots were heard coming from the path leading to the village. Lightning snapped her head to the side to see WRO troops rushing in with their own assault rifles and hand guns, their bullets directed toward the mysterious soldiers that tried to fire back. From behind them, Reeve appeared with his own rifle, rushing toward Cloud and Lightning and giving a moment of relief.

"Let's get out of here!" he shouted over the gun fire. He braced himself in picking up Cloud's sword while Lightning pulled Cloud up to his feet, swinging an arm over her shoulders as her hand went around, pulling him up from the waist. She carefully followed Reeve back to the trail, and the sounds of battle drifted farther away behind them.

When the coast was clear, Lightning set Cloud back on the ground, propping him up to lean back against a tree. Her hands gently prodded around his limbs, checking if there would be any broken bones or sprains. Luckily, there were none, or else he would have woken up in an instant. "Come on, please be okay," she growled desperately. Frustrated, she looked up at Reeve with fierce eyes. "Reeve, you know something. Who the hell were those guys?!"

As Cloud slowly began to stir on his own, Reeve crouched to their level to see his condition. His hand desperately reached out and gripped Lightning's shoulder as the grogginess started to dissipate.

"Deepground," Reeve said with a grave voice as he got up. "They're a special military branch from Shinra that used to train as a medical unit. Unlike the regular SOLDIERS, they were intended to be more obedient. In time, they would have become the top army of the company."

"Why didn't Rufus think about giving us that 'minor' detail?" Lightning asked, aggravation ringing clear in her voice.

"Rufus didn't know about them at all." Reeve was full of surprise himself –almost none of the Shinra executives held information about the organization. "His inauguration was so abrupt that he was never briefed about it. We found data on Deepground while looking through the files left behind in Nibelheim."

Lightning's desire to lash out at the damn president subsided, but the pain and fury that everyone seemed to have against the company finally reached her. "They're pretty damn ruthless, if you ask me."

Her words made Cloud even more fearful as he finally got a good grasp on staying conscious. "If they're making a global threat…" Deepground soldiers had been terrorizing all around the Planet for almost a year, considering the possibility that they were connected to Lightning. "Reeve, you should go check on the other divisions. Get them ready to fight against these guys."

"What about you two?"

With what little strength he had, Cloud tried to get up to his feet, though his legs immediately began to wobble. Lightning reached out and held him by the arms to keep him from falling back down. "I'll stay here," he answered in a strained voice. "I have to make sure those Deepground guys don't get into Wutai."

Lightning fervently shook her head. "No, you're in no condition to fight. Just stay in Wutai until the fighting's died down - I doubt we'll be able to get an aircraft out of here for a while."

"What about you?" Reeve asked her.

As much as she wanted to rip a new one into the Deepground soldiers, Lightning had to be cautious. Going back to Fort Tamblin would just make them more aggressive, and the WRO members already there would be doomed with a death sentence.

"I'll go with him," she replied with a sigh. Beside her, Cloud took his sword and broke it down into its separate components to store in the holster. "We'll let Yuffie know what's going on. Find us a trip back to the mainland in the morning." Her expression then softened with a pleading look. "And pull WRO back. Please, Reeve...I don't want any good lives to be lost today."

Reeve solemnly nodded. "And neither do I. I'll give you a call in the morning."

They went their separate ways, and Lightning slung Cloud's arm over her shoulder, which instantly brought some unseen discomfort between them. Lightning refused to look up at him, her mind wracked with heavy emotions that he couldn't decipher. Her hold hold didn't bear the same kind of warmth they used to have, but neither of them said anything about it and continued on toward the village.

The path led to a long stone stairway up to the village itself. Lightning groaned as her eyes traveled up. "Great."

Cloud thought for a short while before giving in to the urge to frown. "I'll just stay here. If Deepground or the WRO come by, I'll let the Wutai troops know."

She considered his idea for a moment, weighing the pros against the cons...but one factor stood out from all the rest to tip the scales. Refusing to oblige, Lightning tightened her grip and heaved him up the steps one by one, clearly ignoring the exasperated stare just mere inches away.

"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

"What does it look like?" she shot back with irritation. "And don't say you'll be fine on your own down here. It won't be enough to have Yuffie send troops to join you."

"But-"

"Trust me on this." Lightning's voice was firm, but her eyes struggled to hold back the guilt that threatened to spill out. She knew he was more than willing to trust her, but the pain inflicted on him today wouldn't have happened if she was careful. If she was more careful in the past, he wouldn't have been constantly worried, and the concern wouldn't have dragged him along on this dangerous mission.

But still...despite the strains between them, she wanted nothing more than to be close to him.

Out of the corner of her eye, her gaze lingered on Cloud's face; how long had it been since she was able to see him this up close? Seeing his features brought back the bad memories of that horrendous day…but it also tore her up inside, caught in between the desire to shove him away and the desire to never let go.

When they approached Wutai village, many ninjas were already rushing up to aid. As some of them went to alert Yuffie and her father Godo, Cloud assured the ones that came up to him and Lightning that they were all right.

"We just need a place to stay for the night," he explained. With affirmative nods, the villagers led them to the closest inn, offering the best room available. As soon as they began to settle down, Yuffie rushed up to the door of their room with worry washing over her face.

"Are you hurt? Do you need a medical team?!"

"No, we're fine," Lightning assured as she helped Cloud lean against the edge of an end table. Nonetheless, some of the hostesses of the inn walked in with a bowl containing warm water and a wash cloth, as well as spare white clothes designed for both men and women. They were set at the end of the large futon while Lightning circled it to approach Yuffie.

"You heard about Fort Tamblin?"

Yuffie gravely nodded. "Reeve called me. And I was about to send an espionage team in the morning, too."

"Wutai's gonna have to be careful," Lightning warned.

"Got it," the young ninja replied with an affirmative nod. "Leave it to me. I'll get some troops over by the borders. Just relax – you guys are safe here." Once she and the others left, the room fell into dead silence. Lightning tiredly pulled her Guardian Corps pauldron off and threw it to the ground before reaching back to unclip the gunblade case from her belt. She refused to try and glance over to Cloud, which made her even more frustrated when she realized that a part of her wasn't acting according to her will. Even though she longed to see him after two weeks of silent torture, what right did she have to try and go back to the way things were?

After hearing her heavily sigh, Cloud watched her close the doors to their room and turn around. Lightning appeared to be lost in her thoughts, unaware of the crimson streaks still masking a part of her face. "You're cut," he told her calmly, but she didn't give any sign of a response. Exhaling, he hobbled over to the bowl and dampened the cloth before approaching Lightning. When he held it out to her, she still gave no acknowledgement, and it was evident that she was avoiding interaction with him. "It'll be bad if the blood gets in your eye."

Cloud reached out and pressed the cloth upon where the cut ran across her forehead, but it seemed to have already closed up. As he gently tried to clean up the blood, his hand suddenly began to tremble. In a flash, the sole desire to hold her face and pull it close to his was fierce, and making another move would have augmented it more.

She felt a change in his touch and lifted a hand to lightly touch his. It helped to pull him out of his thoughts as he looked over to her pale blue eyes. "Give me that," she muttered before pulling the cloth out of his hand, which he lowered instantly. When he turned away, Lightning breathed out a little sigh of relief; he didn't seem to notice the immense heat her cheeks were giving off due to the close proximity.

'_He wouldn't want to fix things,'_ she sadly convinced herself while wiping her face clean. Like before, she didn't want to try and jump to conclusions only to end up with heartache. Of course, Cloud was going to be nice and considerate; it wouldn't have meant he wanted to give Lightning a second chance, not after the caustic words she threw at his face. She thought it would be best to simply let it all go and try to continue on with life…

But the beating pain within her chest urged her to hold onto him.

After he took off the holster on his back, Cloud took another cloth and dampened it to clean the cut on his arm, and he hissed at the stinging pain. Sitting himself down at the end of the futon, he kicked his boots off before sighing heavily. Despite his attempts to make amends, it didn't seem like Lightning would listen…and who would? Cloud's words brought nothing but pain to her, and to make matters worse, he criticized her for being similar to the very person he owed his life to. Hurting her to this extent was the last thing he ever wanted, and he wished there was a way to somehow make things right.

He set his pauldron down by his boots when he felt a heavy weight lean against his backside. It wasn't hard to figure out what it was, especially when a head gently laid itself against his shoulder.

"I didn't mean it," Lightning muttered through layers of regret. Her hand curled into a fist on her lap, fighting off the urge to break down in tears. "Any of it. You have so many friends who are there to help – it's not that you don't trust them, is it?" She slowly lifted her head and looked up as his head began to hang by the shoulders. Was he accepting her attempt at apologies? "I shouldn't have taken off the way I did. If only I understood how you felt…"

When Cloud suddenly got to his feet, Lightning's eyes widened in panic before she reached out to grab his arm. She couldn't bear the idea that he hated her; for the past two weeks, holding the tears in took all of her remaining strength away. If he truly didn't want anything to do with her anymore, her resolve would certainly crumble. Why couldn't she take care of any happiness she was gifted with? No matter what, she had to go ruin things, one way or another.

To her surprise, he turned around to reveal the pained expression in his eyes, one that she knew for sure wasn't because of her. When she dropped her hand, Cloud sat back down, now facing her as he ran a hand through his hair. "I have some blame to make up for, too," he admitted. "It was wrong to call you childish." The anger in his voice wasn't meant for Lightning…but for himself. "I tried so hard to make sure you were out of harm's way, I pretty much wanted to control your every move. How could you love a guy like that? In the end, I'd just hurt you, one way or another."

Lightning could see the sincerity all around him, and it was finally clear that the both of them were tired of holding onto the guilt. When she tried to reach for his hand, Cloud grimaced before shaping it into a tight fist, refusing to allow himself to hold her gently.

'_I don't have the right,'_ he thought to himself.

Refusing to give up, Lightning shifted herself to fold her legs underneath her thighs and lifted Cloud's head up with a single finger. The past two weeks of loneliness were enough to make her never want to leave him again, but she couldn't return to his side when he was in such a melancholic state.

"Even if you do hurt me now," she told him in a gentle voice that he never heard her use. "The worst pain I could ever imagine is when you're not with me."

Cloud moved his hand to cover hers as she cupped his cheek; he sighed with relief to the touch he thought he would never feel again. All this time, he only thought about ways to make sure she was safe, that she would never disappear. If Lightning vanished, it would have been far worse than never meeting her at all. He was tired of failing the people he cherished, and he didn't want to past to repeat itself all over again.

Tugging at her arm, she fell forward for his lips to capture hers, and he was far from gentle. Cloud wrapped his arms around her waist to press her body up against him; he had to angle his head upward to keep the kiss lasting. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Lightning refused to put any distance between them; feeling his muscles tense to her touch made a wildfire spread throughout her body. With his eager lips threatening to devour her, she had no other choice but to pull free for a quick breath…

But that quick breath proved to be too long, for Cloud pushed her back to fall upon the futon before towering over her, his hands steadying him by placing themselves on either side of her head. She saw his mako eyes burn with desire before he descended upon her to hungrily kiss her once again. Soon, his lips started trailing down her jaw line and to her throat, and before she realized it, her hands started tugging on his shirt, pulling the zipper down to reveal his chest.

At that point, he froze and slowly lifted himself up to stare into her confused eyes. Lightning stopped tugging and saw the painful expression again.

"I can't control myself with you," he muttered in a strained voice. He didn't want to force her into something she didn't want to do. She made it clear last time how she wasn't ready, and he refused to try and control her actions when he couldn't even control himself.

Propping herself up on her elbow, Lightning snaked her other arm around his neck while just barely grazing their lips together. The lush scent of her breath made Cloud give out sharp exhales as he pushed himself to fight the immense drive that wanted to take over.

"You don't have to hold back," she whispered, and a part of him had longed to hear those words. "Not with me." Lightning herself was taking deep breaths to steady her racing heart, and yet it would be futile soon.

Cloud didn't hesitate in the least when he pulled off her garments one by one, reaching over to graze his lips upon her silky skin between each one. Like in battle, Lightning was swift and eager when she pulled off his dark shirt and pants. The heat radiating from their bare bodies made the futons almost unnecessary; hot breaths mingled in between heavy kisses, and their roaming hands gripped tightly onto skin that made them moan. Raking her hand through his sweat-soaked hair didn't feel any less comfortable than before. In fact, it brought frenzied sensations through his body, and the following circles drawn by his tongue help to transfer them over to her.

Hearing his ragged breaths, feeling his pounding chest beneath her palm, and relishing in his tight embrace was enough for Lightning to tell her that it was all real. He never went so far as to make her uncomfortable, and his fingers were able to travel to all the spots where she enjoyed his touch.

Cloud never resisted when she pulled his face up to kiss his lips languidly, and he was actually satisfied in the way her nails raked down his back, her limbs trying to entangle themselves all around his form. It was like their bodies were melding together in time for them to move synchronously when he entered her. Lightning began to gasp more audibly whenever they moved, her pitch higher than usual. Pain was incoherent to their minds, and new sensations excited them too much to stop now.

For a long time, Lightning believed she would never find anyone who could make her feel this way – someone who was desired and wanted to be stolen away for only oneself. She was sure Cloud was always serious about his feelings for her, and it made her heart burst at finally realizing how much she meant to him. No one had been able to understand her like he has; though she liked how he showed kindness and compassion to everyone he cherished, Lightning felt the covetous wanting of taking his heart for her own, hoping that it wouldn't be scarred by his dark past again. Even when she felt that she didn't deserve such kindness, he was always there to offer it one way or another…and she was grateful for it.

Cloud still felt hungry inside; even if fatigue was going to strike him imminently, he didn't want to let her go. All this time, he felt like drowning in the fear of losing her – his light that was finally bringing him back to something close to a normal life. Her courage and determination radiated among the despair and helplessness that almost crippled the Planet, erasing the wounds in his heart caused by the darkness of his past. Without Lightning, he could have still dwelled on his guilt, despite the constant self-assurance that he was allowed to move on.

But now that they were here, together, they didn't have to feel alone anymore. They had become each other's strengths, which would surely help them overcome any more obstacles in the future that they were to share.

* * *

By sunrise, he finally began to stir, lazily rolling his head to face the window. It proved to be irritating as the rays started beaming in, but he was grateful to a silhouette that he couldn't recognize behind his closed lids. He felt calm, relaxed, and finally at peace after the last few weeks of turmoil.

When he slowly opened his eyes, Cloud couldn't immediately make out the silhouette…but he was too captivated by the glow around her form to even try.

"An angel?" he murmured.

There was a soft chuckle before she fixed herself to sit upright; she gathered the sheets to conceal her chest. "Not quite."

With a smirk, he moved his arm to draw small circles on her back, enjoying the smooth surface of her skin. "Sure, you are. To me, at least."

Lightning blushed at the flattery.

"Did you sleep all right?"

She fell back to cuddle closer, wrapping an arm around his torso before laying her head upon his shoulder. "Of course," she said with a smile as he gently kissed the top of her head. "Next to you, who wouldn't?"

Though he wanted to remain in the blissful heaven, there was a thought that invaded Cloud's mind. "Any word on Deepground?" It made Lightning's smile fade away, and she propped herself up on her elbows to look at him sternly.

"Reeve called a few minutes ago. They took care of those soldiers at Fort Tamblin, but when they searched the place, there were radios and transmitters everywhere. Maps, photos…They had been there for a while."

With a hard face, Cloud got up to prop himself on his elbows as well. "Was there anything about you?"

She sighed while shaking her head. "No. They wouldn't have expected me to be on the island." For Deepground, they were lucky to have the opportunity to catch her, and it if weren't for Cloud being there, they would have captured her with no trouble at all.

Cloud glanced up at the closed cut on her forehead; there was definitely going to be some mild scarring. A twinge of guilt appeared form within as he ghosted his thumb over the cut. "I should have that," he muttered. "Not you."

It was obvious what he was getting at, and Lightning took his hand to hold it in between hers. "Don't. Just be grateful you're alive." She could have cared less about the injuries she obtained last night. It only saddened her that she couldn't protect him after all the times he had been there for her.

That was all he ever did – protect her. Since their meeting with Rufus, she was so blind to his attempts of saving her from the danger that threatened to pull them apart. "I'm sorry about everything," she said with deep remorse. "You were right – I should have been more careful."

Shaking his head, Cloud used his free hand to delicately brush her cheek, which elicited a soft blush on her face. "It would have been better if I trusted you more," he admitted. "I should have listened." If he hadn't been so wrapped up in keeping her out of danger, he would have seen how much pain his actions brought her. "Can I make a request?"

Lightning tilted her head to the side, curious as to what he was thinking about.

"You mind if I join you on some patrols? At least until we stop Deepground."

It was nearly impossible to talk him out of it…not that she would have wanted to, anyway. Softly chuckling, Lightning kissed the hand that she held and smiled. "Deal." Her response made Cloud smile in return; coming to a mutual agreement after all this time was a relief – a new and fresh beginning. "I actually think work will be more exciting now," she joked.

Cloud lifted an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh, really?" As Lightning stifled a giggle, he moved to lay her on her back as he once again towered over her, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. They were lucky to still be underneath the futon, for they failed to pay attention to the ever growing voice just outside the room.

"Hey, you guys!" Yuffie greeted just before sliding the doors wide open. "I asked the innkeeper to—" Her eyes enlarged tenfold at the sight of them; her fingers trembled just as her jaw dropped. "Whoa!" As soon as Lightning and Cloud took notice of her presence, Yuffie's hands darted to her face to shield her eyes.

Lightning's heart skipped multiple beats before trying to gather as much blanket as possible to cloak her body. "Yuffie!" She sank farther beneath Cloud, who ran a hand over his face with humiliation.

"You guys seriously need to install a lock system or something," he groaned.

Yuffie held out a hand in apology as the other continued to cover her eyes. "Sorry! You're right. My bad. I'll just tell the innkeeper to hold your meals until you're…ready." Closing her eyes tightly, she reached out to grab the doors and slide them shut; Lightning and Cloud heard her breathe out a sigh of relief before walking away.

Cloud huffed as he fixed himself to sit upright, the sheets still covering the lower half of his body. When Lightning also sat up, she aggravatingly rested her head on his shoulder, still flustered over what had occurred. "Geez," she drawled.

He couldn't help but let out a sarcastic chuckle. "That's Yuffie for you."

As she let out a small laugh, Cloud shifted around to wrap his arms around her, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder. Lightning peeked out of the corner of her eye to see a smirk gracing his features, and she couldn't help but beam at how bright things have gotten after two weeks of darkness. It had been cold, but now that she finally returned to her rightful place in his arms, she never wanted to leave again.

* * *

**Whew! To tell you the truth, I was debating on whether or not to write this scene out. It _seems_ to be okay...**


	22. Don't Go to Midgar

**Happy New Year, everyone! My feet hurt like hell and my tonsils are on fire, but I still wanted to get this update in before I snooze for the rest of the day :p**

* * *

**Don't Head to Midgar**

Though he tried to be gentle, his lips screamed with urgency, eager to fulfill the selfish desires. Lightning felt her knees buckling, but she was held up by his firm arms, even when her own arms were tightly laced over his neck. Ever since the time in Wutai, they found it impossible to touch, to even look at each other, without feeling a great fire burning in their chests. When they were in the same room, it was just the two of them, and they couldn't even sense the others surrounding them.

Lightning pulled away to gasp for air, but it only made Cloud press her up against the wall and nibble his way down to her neck. He felt her chest heave up and down with no rhythm, and it was even more sporadic when his hand trailed down to her hips.

"That delivery took long," she breathed out with a chuckle.

He moaned against her skin in agreement before taking a deep breath and lifting his head. "Too long." After another long kiss, he pulled away and sighed. "We should go home."

In protest, Lightning tugged on his collar to pull him back in. "Weren't you the one who pulled me in this alley in the first place?" It was her turn to be forceful; though she intended to fix herself and return to her duties, the desire rushed back when she found the smallest chance of thinking straight.

Cloud decided to give in for a little longer until he gently pulled her face away from his, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "I was wrong to do it," he joked, which caused Lightning to glare at him through narrowed eyes. "Come on," he said while taking her hand into his. "Let's go."

The past eleven months had been filled with such adventure and excitement that a part of Cloud was actually glad it was real. There had been tough challenges that he never imagined to face, but after enduring all of them, he was able to be with Lightning, and they achieved a level of happiness that would have been seen as impossible for either of them.

Lightning took in the sight of the extra recruits that joined Midgar Area Patrol just a few weeks ago. After Reeve's discovery of the Shinra documents in the mansion in Nibelheim, he relocated some of the other divisions' members to join her squad in hopes of protecting the citizens from Deepground. No doubt they were connected to Midgar, where the original Shinra Headquarters was stationed – Edge would probably be their #1 target.

As they strolled through the streets, some of the townspeople started to turn in for the evening when Lightning's phone trilled in her pocket. She fished it out to see Reeve's name pop up on the caller ID; quirking a curious brow, she flipped the phone open and pressed it against her ear. "Hey, Reeve." Her breath got caught in her throat as she took in the noisy gun fire and static from the other end. Among the shouts and orders in the background, she also heard faint wails and cries of fright, and she was certain he wasn't just watching some horror movie on a television with a cranked up volume.

When she stopped in her tracks, Cloud waited worriedly by her side, watching as the expressions on her face went from curiosity to fear. "Reeve?" she asked. He could very well hear the muffled terror coming from the cell phone, and his mind instantly went to suspicion.

'_Could this be Deepground again?'_

Lightning dropped Cloud's hand and took a few steps away from him, her attention solely focused on the mayhem that she could only hear. "What's wrong? Where are you?"

"Deepground is—Kalm-! Evacuate Edge-!"

The disrupted signal made her worry even more, and her eyes flitted toward the direction of Kalm. Over Edge buildings, she saw bright lights illuminating the skies in the distance. She was sure they were from the fireworks that they had heard just a few minutes ago…but then their large explosions became mixed with an all too familiar sound of gunshots that made her blood run cold. Could Deepground be attacking Kalm in the midst of its annual festival?

"Reeve!" As Lightning tried to make sense of the transmission, the line soon went dead, and she stared at the phone with frustration. Cloud's eyes switched back and forth between her and the phone, the expression on his face being almost identical to hers.

"What is it?" he asked her just before a woman's shriek echoed through the streets. It came from the east side of the city, where soon enough, a large group of civilians appeared from and sprinted away with terror in their eyes. Wasting no time, Cloud and Lightning rushed over to assist, but all they could get from the frantic civilians were warnings of intruders and monsters.

"They've got guns!"

"Help us!"

Lightning ran ahead, passively directing everyone to head in the opposite direction, and she soon came across the shelter she only vaguely remembered from almost a year ago. From the dark interior, she saw Deepground soldiers erupt through the small doorway with guns and flashlights, aiming the muzzles at anyone they laid their eyes on. As some of them took off further down the alleys, three others took note of Lightning's presence and motioned toward their comrades.

"There she is!"

Before they could take proper aim at her, Lightning rushed toward them and lunged for the middle one, vaulting herself by pushing off his shoulders and somersaulting to land behind them. Once they spun around with their weapons still in front, she quickly swung her leg out to knock the guns out of their hands, and she followed with grabbing the middle one's arm and pulling him down. Lightning lifted her foot to immediately stomp on the back of his head, launching herself into slightly higher elevation. Once the first one was knocked out, Lightning shoved her foot into the crick of neck on the one to her right, which gave her momentum as she swung her left foot out to kick the last one in the side of his head. His assault rifle went flying in the air, but she caught it upon her landing back on the ground. Wasting not even a second, she spun around and shot the last two in the head, and they fell to the ground cold.

Cloud almost rushed over to join her side, but he took one swift glance down an alley and saw a mother and child run down what he knew would be a dead end…and two Deepground soldiers immediately went in after them.

"Damn it."

He closed the distance between them and shot down the alley, and once he saw the mother and child cowering at the end, he rushed up to silently greet the sadistic soldiers. One of them had his gun aimed at the little girl, preparing to pull the trigger, but he was soon knocked unconscious to the ground by a swift elbow to his head. The other soldier spun on his heel, whipping the gun around, but Cloud easily wrenched it free from his grasp and shoved him hard against the wall. After he stepped around to act as a shield to the mother and the little girl, he reached to grab the back of the soldier's helmet and slammed the head into the opposite wall.

Turning around, he held out a hand for the mother to take, and she helped pull her daughter up to her feet.

"Run. Hurry!"

Cloud led them out of the alley and back onto the streets, where many civilians still ran in a panic. He directed them to follow the traffic and watched them go toward safety… and as soon as they took off, he reached behind his back to pull out a back blade before swinging it around horizontally to strike an upcoming Deepground soldier. Its attempt at a preemptive back strike ultimately failed, but it still didn't stop Cloud from spinning a full 360 degrees to strike down a second wave of soldiers charging toward him.

Once he straightened up to catch his breath, he caught sight of Lightning running toward him as she assisted a few more civilians to safety. Cloud's eyes widened as he noticed more Deepground soldiers with guns give chase after her; quickly sheathing the back blade, he used his other hand to reach out for her arm. As soon as she was close enough, he clutched her hand and swung her to stand behind him while the hand that once held the back blade moved back in front of him with the hollow blade in it.

The bullets were fast, but Cloud's reflexes were faster. At first, it seemed like he swung the hollow blade around with no purpose at all, but Lightning heard the ear-splitting ricochet and knew that the bullets were getting easily deflected. She flipped her weapon into gun mode, and once they heard the clips run empty, Cloud dropped into a low crouch as Lightning took precise aim and shot the soldiers down with one bullet each.

When Cloud got back up, he faced Lightning with worried eyes.

"There's too many of them," she told him while catching her breath. There wasn't much proof needed to support her claim. Gunshots echoed in the night sky, along with screams and cries that struck their hearts cold.

"Captain!"

Lightning turned to see Vic approach them, anxiety clearly plastered on his face. He held a pistol in his hand, and no doubt he had to use it against the soldiers he met along the way.

"Vic, evacuate the city," she ordered her second-in-command. "Lead them to Junon, now!"

With a quick nod, he turned back around and sprinted to the south end of town, calling to other civilians to follow him. Soon enough, the residents of Edge turned their destination to the same direction; parents picked up their little ones and ran as fast as they could, leaving their beloved homes behind.

As soon as Lightning turned back to face Cloud, he gripped her arms tightly and gave a serious look with his glowing eyes. "Go! I'll take care of them."

Lightning feverishly shook her head, refusing to even consider that option. "You need help—"

"It's you they're after," he reminded her with a hint of aggravation. "Lead the others. I'll try to find anyone else once I get the chance."

Though she hated the thought of leaving him to fight Deepground, it was for the best. They couldn't hold their own against these enemies for long back in Wutai; fighting them while trying to protect civilians wouldn't be too successful.

Lightning grimaced before reaching to crush her lips upon his, and he immediately responded to her touch. His hand moved to urgently hold the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. They could feel the fear and anxiety in each other's actions, but for the sake of their safeties, they had to go separate ways.

Once she broke free, Lightning spun around and raced down the street, calling out to civilians that seemed to be lost on the way. All the while, she couldn't keep one thought out of her mind. No matter how hard she tried to help everyone evacuate Edge, she couldn't escape the horrible truth that haunted her since the time she met Rufus Shinra.

'_People are finding themselves in danger…because of me.'_

* * *

Marlene and Denzel stood by their bedroom window, watching many of the townsfolk that they knew run through the streets below. It was impossible to sleep with all the commotion, not that they wanted to since the suspicion of danger easily crept up on them.

Their silence was broken by Tifa bursting into the room. "Marlene. Denzel. We gotta get out of here!"

"What about Lightning and Cloud?" Denzel asked worriedly as he ran up to her.

"They're still out there fighting." When she saw the look of worry on their faces, she knew they would have a hard time leaving them behind. "We'll call once we get to safety, okay?" They reluctantly nodded before Tifa escorted them to the back of the bar, where they went through a door that led to an alley. Hurrying to their pick-up truck, Tifa tried to fish out the keys from her pocket when she noticed Deepground soldiers rounding the closest corner, their attention immediately directed toward the trio.

Marlene and Denzel screamed in fright before rushing to Tifa's side; she held them close as they slowly backed away, her eyes never leaving the soldiers. They wielded vicious swords that glistened in the moonlight, and they advanced toward Tifa with murderous intent. When the ominous silence built up to a breaking point, she shoved Marlene and Denzel back toward the bar, and they took it as their cue to barricade themselves within their home. However, the first line of Deepground soldiers already charged toward them, blades raised high at the ready.

Tifa rushed up to one of them and gave a quick roundhouse kick to the side before he could swing his sword down on her head. Reaching out, she grabbed another's wrist and pivoted to throw him into the air and slam straight into the steel wall. As a third soldier steered his attention to her, Tifa ducked low to avoid his first lunge with his sword and took a step forward to give his jaw a swift uppercut.

As the soldiers kept coming around the corner, she did her best to fend them off…but it didn't stop some of them from getting past her. Before Marlene and Denzel were able to safely close the door, two soldiers reached out and grabbed them to be dragged back out onto the streets. Marlene struggled in the man's grasp, but he had little difficulty in carrying her in the adjacent direction from where he and his comrades came. Meanwhile, Denzel was simply tossed to the ground, left to stumble until he was met at gunpoint by the soldier's muzzle.

He had nowhere to go. With Tifa being gradually overwhelmed by soldiers, she wouldn't be able to reach him in time. Denzel closed his eyes shut and raised his arms up in feeble defense, for he truly believed that no one could help him in this one moment of terror…

But before the Deepground soldier could pull the trigger, a swift foot shot down to kick his gun out of his hands. As he staggered back, a mysterious figure crouched low in front of him and threw a punch to his stomach, and he fell to the ground before passing out indefinitely.

Denzel's eyes shot open to find Lightning standing before him, just in time to see her pull out the Blazefire Saber in its gun mode. With precise aim, she shot toward Tifa and the other Deepground soldiers, evening the battle enough for Tifa to break free and turn toward her.

"Marlene!" she cried out with worry. Lightning gasped as she realized the absence of the little girl, but the deduction was already done in her head. After coming from the opposite direction of where Tifa stood, there was only one other way the soldiers could have taken her. Both of their eyes flitted toward the alleyway to Lightning's left, but what concerned Lightning more was the second group of Deepground soldiers that appeared behind Tifa.

"Go!" she shouted, nodding to the alley. Even when Tifa could sense the soldiers coming up from behind her, she knew she could trust Lightning with Denzel and took off to take the sharp turn.

When she was out of her line of vision, Lightning crouched down into a low position, acting as a shield in front of Denzel while the Deepground soldiers charged forward. "Cover your ears!" Denzel did so, and she unleashed a barrage of bullets into them before they could even prepare their own guns.

Meanwhile, Tifa hurried in time to catch sight of the soldier taking off with Marlene. He rounded a corner on the left before she had a chance to grab him, but she wasn't going to let him get away so easily. Jumping up, she kicked off the left wall before planting her other foot on the opposite wall; her head turned to look downward and saw them still dashing farther away. Tifa launched herself after them, moving her feet to dive toward them first. She stomped on the soldier's backside, and he lurched forward while Marlene slipped out of his grasp. As he fell forward, she hovered in mid-air for the slightest moment until she began to gravitate toward the ground. Tifa held her arms out in time to catch the little girl before sliding across the ground on her backside, the soldier collapsing a little ways farther down.

"Are you okay?" she asked Marlene after fixing her upright. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as the girl nodded in affirmation. Taking her hand, Tifa ran back the way they came, where Lightning and Denzel waited next to the fallen Deepground soldiers. "Where's Cloud?"

"Across town," Lightning told her. "We need to get to Junon. Kalm's been attacked before us." Tifa handed her the keys to unlock the truck's door. "You have to lead everyone over the mountain."

"What about you?"

Lightning quickly opened the door, allowing Marlene and Denzel to slide in. "I'll stay in the flank – make sure those guys don't catch anyone following you."

Tifa nodded in understanding and moved past Lightning to take the wheel. After she slammed the door closed, she started the engine and stomped on the gas just as Lightning hopped into the back of the truck. They sped off to the main streets, driving past the frantic civilians following the WRO's instructions.

"Follow the truck!" Lightning shouted before jumping off as they reached city limits. "It will lead you to Junon!" She ushered everyone to follow Tifa as she led them south, though many were still too wild and in a panic to understand. Across the plaza, she saw a group of civilians be pursued by Deepground soldiers, who easily caught up to shoot some of them down. Lightning watched in horror as they continued to catch up to as many people as possible, murdering some while grabbing others as prisoners to drag away. Hands clenched into tight fists, she reeled in self-loathing; doing nothing would get people killed and captured, but doing something would have herself captured, allowing them to fulfill their ultimate goal.

A large group of shrieks erupted from the direction of the business district, and she saw civilians rush up with wide eyes, pursued by soldiers with blades. Lightning unsheathed her gunblade and shot at the soldiers until the civilians were out of bounds, ultimately flicking her wrist to extending the Saber into its sword mode. One of them ran up to strike at her with a downward slash, but she easily blocked it. With the large impact of the clash, both of them reeled back, but Lightning acted fast to flip her sword into gun mode and take a quick shot to the soldier's gut.

As soon as he was down, there were more soldiers coming up after him; Lightning gritted her teeth in frustration until the farthest enemies were shot down by a familiar pistol. Looking past them, she saw Jane running up to assist, her guns firing off in her hands. With relief, Lightning took out the other ones until it was only Jane left approaching her.

"Follow everyone to Junon!" Lightning told her.

"But we still have squad members around here! Shouldn't we—"

"The people are the ones who need us," she reminded Jane with authority. Though Lightning didn't want to sound cold, the stability of the civilians' lives was and always will be top priority. She recalled giving a similar lecture during the first week of Midgar Area Patrol's orientation, and it rang strong and true throughout the months that followed. It was basically her code as a soldier, but she knew that it was wrong to completely ignore the lives of her subordinates. "Everyone needs you to help get them over the mountain," she said, now in a gentler voice. "Once they're safe, we'll worry about the squads."

Jane nodded, understanding how the decision also seemed to rip Lightning apart inside. Since Meteorfall, she wanted to dedicate herself to helping others. It never occurred to her that sacrifices had to be made, but it was what made people strong to begin with.

Once there were no more civilians in sight, Jane took off after the populace along with Vic and Rose; Lightning finished off one last wave of Deepground soldiers before stepping out of city limits. She ran a ways after the civilians before turning around to take in the sight. Smoke billowed from many of the buildings, and the screams still echoed through the sky. Though she managed to get many of the civilians out, she couldn't forget the fact that some had lost their lives or got themselves captured in the midst of the chaos.

And what's more, Cloud was still in there.

As she turned to follow after the citizens, she felt bare wires tug at her heart with every step, tying her to the invaded city. Lightning was certain she could trust Cloud with his assurance of helping anyone else he could find, but she wasn't sure that he would be able to find his way back to her safely.

* * *

"Who were those guys, captain?!" Jane asked hysterically as the two of them entered Junon. Lightning's brows knitted tightly together as she sheathed the gunblade. Many of the escapees crowded the streets, gathered in little groups, what she assumed to be individual families.

"No one good." Close to the weapons shop, she saw Tifa gently conversing with Marlene and Denzel, who sat worriedly next to the truck. "Are you guys okay?" she asked worriedly as she approached.

Tifa got up to her feet and nodded confidently. "We're fine."

Lightning's eyes glanced down toward the children, and she noticed how Denzel's face appeared a little paler than usual. Crouching down, she took a careful look into his eyes, and it was able to get his distracted attention. "Denzel, are you gonna be all right?"

He tensely nodded, though his arms hugged his knees closer to his chest. "Yeah. It was really freaky, though."

After she sighed with relief, Lightning got up just as Tifa looked at her nervously. "Lightning, were they—?"

She gravely nodded, despair crippling her heart and mind. It was clear who Tifa was referring to. "They must have come from Kalm," she explained. "Reeve called me from there – told me to clear out Edge."

"Where's Cloud?" Marlene asked. At that moment, Lightning felt the wires tug at her heart once again, but she fought to keep her face from contorting at the sound of his name. Marlene and Denzel still looked at her for an answer, but Tifa smoothly averted their attention by asking if they were hungry. Lightning continued on through Junon, greeting her troops along with those from Junon Area Patrol, until she met the captain himself close to the elevator, where he issued out orders.

"Everything all right?" he asked her as standard protocol.

"Yeah. How many men do you have at the borders?"

"Some of yours, some of mine."

Her jaw slightly hung with surprise. Not only did some of her team make it with the populace to Junon, but now even they were being stationed to barricade the village from an attack.

"I don't have enough to accompany yours."

The captain grimaced. "A good handful of my troops have been missing for a month, as well as many villagers."

Lightning vaguely remembered the announcement, but WRO officials rarely met or exchanged information and statistics. "The twenty to thirty people?"

Hesitant, the captain's eyes flitted around, hoping no one outside the organization was in earshot distance. "Twelve hundred," he corrected grimly.

A shudder escaped her lips. In order to keep the citizens safe and calm, she knew that death and missing people reports always skewed their numbers, but never had she heard them reduce it by this much. "What…?"

The captain sighed, shocked at the amount as well. "The official release said twenty to thirty…but far more civilians have disappeared. The same thing is happening in Mideel, Costa del Sol…everywhere."

"Right under our noses?" Lightning slowly shook her head with disbelief. "Where could they have all gone to?"

"Where could they have all been _taken?_" the Junon captain corrected once more, this time with emphasis. It was able to get her attention as she inclined her head, which urged him to continue. "There are only a few places on the Planet big enough to keep all those people…and I'm pretty sure it's a little closer to home."

Pushing the astonishment out of her mind, Lightning thought of the one place where all those people could have been held. Certainly not in any town or city currently occupied and well-populated, and then it made sense.

"Midgar."

"That'd be my best guess," he said with a shrug. "Hell, no one would dare trek the sands of Corel prison without being noticed. Ancient Forest has been searched, guarded, and off-limits since Meteorfall." A dark cloud suddenly fell over his face, his grimace becoming more pronounced. "The howls in the air at night…I'm sure you've heard them. It's not the wind."

All this time, Lightning assumed the seemingly small disappearances were to fulfill some political motive. She was right to assume that something was going on within the old Shinra Headquarters, and after the incident on Wutai Island, it was starting to fall into place. But still…what was Deepground's goal?

* * *

The citizens have dealt with terror and crisis before, but encountering it without any preparation was crippling. In a single night, their peaceful lives in Edge had been taken out from under them – they had fled their homes, their community, and the family and friends that failed to make it. Lightning, Tifa, and the WRO did their best to give any kind of support or comfort, but the desperate and lost questions left them stumped.

As she sighed, Tifa wearily glanced toward the entrance to Junon. Some new civilians she hadn't seen in the past couple of hours emerged along with an illuminating sky to signal the coming of sunrise. They rushed to their loved ones, who held their arms out to them with relief. After they entered, three familiar men made their way into the village, and her eyes widened at the sight.

"Lightning!" she called out.

After giving soothing words to a young woman and child, Lightning quickly glanced over her shoulder to look at Tifa. Her attention was averted to something else, and when Lightning followed the gaze, she felt her breath instantly sweep out of her lungs, her jaw slightly hanging.

The middle man, Cloud, heard Tifa's voice and instantly looked in her direction. Once he registered what she said, his eyes swept across the many people settled around the buildings, hoping to find the one person he thought about for the past few hours. From the direction of the single shop in the village, he saw a flash of pink rush up and slam itself into his body. He didn't need to see her face to recognize who it was, and he readily held his arms out to gather her into them as she tightly wrapped her arms over his neck. Feeling her face bury into his shoulder was enough to alert him of the terror that had grasped onto her all this time; with a sigh of relief, Cloud gently stroked her hair as he held her close.

"I'm okay," he whispered into her ear with assurance. "We're all okay."

Lightning pulled back to look up at his face. Her chest slightly heaved in her attempt to beat down the sob that wanted to come out. "What happened?" she asked, her eyes flitting back and forth between Cloud and the others, Reeve and Vincent. Tifa approached them with folded arms, wondering herself as to what exactly happened back in their home.

"Deepground invaded Kalm just in the middle of the festival," Reeve explained. "They must have infiltrated Vincent's inn to get to the secret passage."

"What exactly are they up to?" Tifa asked with knitted brows. "Aren't they behind the disappearances? Back there, they were killing people!"

Cloud's jaw tightened as he gave it thought. "They must have some ulterior motive."

He considered the possibility, but Reeve still had no idea where everything was leading. "I wasn't able to get much from the documents in the mansion…"

"Captain!"

They looked to see a WRO member approach from behind Lightning and Tifa. Identifying him as Vic, Lightning turned around. "Everything all right?" she asked hesitantly.

The wariness on his face said otherwise. "Half of both Midgar squads are MIA. Only a few of them came to Junon with the commissioner…" As the words quickly sank in, Vic saw the fear settle in Lightning's features. "…Sage is still in Edge."

In one fell swoop, Lightning's team had been reduced to half, and she was unsure if anyone would still be alive back in Edge. She began chastising herself for getting them involved. If she hadn't approached Reeve to join WRO, Midgar Area Patrol wouldn't have been founded, and Vic, Sage, and the others wouldn't have found themselves in danger in a matter of months. They had enough disasters to last a lifetime – Sephiroth, Meteorfall, Geostigma…Lightning wished she didn't get them involved in more.

"Right," she muttered in a low voice. With a blazing fire in her eyes, she turned back to the commissioner. "Reeve, get me some wheels back to Edge."

Everyone laid their eyes on her with shock. Worried, Tifa placed a hand on Lightning's arm. "Light, don't."

"Deepground is still there," Cloud told her crossly. It's as if the obvious fact hadn't sunk into her head yet. "For all we know, they've taken up shop."

Like many times before, Lightning grew tired of Cloud's attempts to dissuade her. She huffed while trying to shake Tifa off. "Those are my men back there. I'm not just gonna sit around and wait for them to be offed because of me!"

Those around her fell silent, breathless at the burst of chagrin she released. As her hand curled into a tight fist at her side, they realized she was never one to leave people behind, especially those she had kept under her wing for so long. If she took a step back, Lightning herself wouldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. She had been ruthless in her single-night pursuit of saving Serah during the Purge; however, the journey she embarked on with her fellow l'Cie was enough to show her the value of comrades and friends, and she wasn't going to throw it away now.

"The Tsviets might be there," Vincent warned, finally speaking up from his spot beside Cloud.

As Lightning looked at him worriedly, Tifa and Cloud took in the word with confusion. "The what?" they asked simultaneously.

"The Tsviets," Reeve reiterated. "An elite group of Deepground. We met one back in Kalm."

With a scowl, Cloud turned back to Lightning. "Now you're definitely not going alone," he said with absolute. "I'm coming along."

Biting her lip, she was unsure if he would listen to her idea. "I think you're needed here." He looked at her bewildered. "If they decide to charge into Junon, you'll need to hold them off. I won't be able to help these people while trying to run around and save myself. The less people around, the more I'll be able to focus on avoiding Deepground."

It made sense to everyone, but Cloud was still disgruntled about letting her go alone. One step in Edge, and she would be met with a full assault.

"I'll go with you," they heard from the direction of the beach. With surprise, everyone turned to look at Vincent, who returned the gaze with his crimson eyes. "It seems they're after me, too. With the both of us there, we could draw them out and finish them faster – keep their aim away from the others still in Edge."

Lightning nodded to him in appreciation. Though they never got the chance to know each other well, she was grateful for him lending his help in spite of the potential danger he was in.

"It's settled," Reeve spoke up, sealing the deal. "Vincent. Lightning. Take the Shadowfox outside town back to Edge. This is reconnaissance and rescue." And with that, he turned to Lightning with a fixed frown, hoping that she would throw her bravado aside for now and heed his words. "Don't go to Midgar."

She knew where his words were coming from and nodded. Not that she had planned to trek to Midgar along the way, but it would have been a good idea for the chance to gather information. Her eyes traveled back to Cloud, who still remained sullen about the turn of events. If the situation had been better, Lightning would have taken his concern into consideration…but her duty to her fellow soldiers was something not to be overlooked. Dead or alive, she wasn't going to leave them behind like scapegoats.

As she tried to pass him and follow Vincent to the Shadowfox, Cloud reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her. Lightning froze in mid-step before looking up at him; his painful expression turned to her with hard eyes.

"Be careful," he urged, and all that came from her was an assuring nod. Though a slight hint of disappointment appeared when he finally let go, she nonetheless continued on after Vincent. Lightning hoped she could trust him on the journey through Edge, but she was willing to give and ally of Cloud's a chance.

Besides, what kind of secrets could Vincent hide?


	23. A Dash of Blood

**A Dash of Blood**

The downpour didn't stop them, but before entering the town, they made sure no soldier was in sight. Lightning and Vincent quickly sprinted to the regular entrance of Edge, pressing their backs up against the buildings while peering in. Holding the Blazefire Saber in gun mode, Lightning took the lead and made it to the closest alleyway, concealing herself once again before motioning Vincent to follow. They repeated the procedure until they were a block away from the center plaza, waiting at a corner while scouting their surroundings. As she tried to peer over the corner in a low crouch, Vincent's eyes scoured the buildings and rooftops.

"See anything?" she asked in a low voice.

"No," he replied. "They're waiting for us."

Chuckling with narrowed eyes, Lightning had almost hoped to run into Deepground soldiers on their way into the city. She was more than ready to teach them to mess with her squads. "Then we shouldn't make a big scene of ourselves," she joked darkly. The rain falling to the ground did whatever it could to drown out distant noise, but it couldn't hide the sound of high heels clacking among the pavement, growing closer to them by the second.

In a blinding flash, they spun around and pulled out their guns, Lightning taking one step during her spin to stand beside Vincent. They were met with a third muzzle of a gun held by a young woman adorned in a long white lab coat and maroon-like wardrobe that came with navy blue heels. She stared at the both of them with one cerulean-colored eye, for the other one was kept shut behind her eyelid. For a few seconds, a hostile aura remained around them until Lightning took a glance toward her lab coat.

"Hold it, Vincent," she assured, lowering her weapon. Her head motioned toward the woman, and Vincent took a closer look to find the familiar badge on her coat. After seeing the WRO's initials on the badge, his eyes returned to her face with scrutiny.

"You're WRO?"

"Who's asking?" the woman replied apprehensively. In the current state of the city, she was right to be wary of anyone she met.

"Vincent Valentine." After introducing himself, he placed his three-barrel gun back into its holster, intending to prove that he meant no harm.

Lightning figured that she'd do the same and sheathed the Blazefire Sabre. "Farron – Midgar Area Patrol." It was wise to assume that all of WRO was familiar with its different branches of militia and science department. "The commissioner sent us."

Her words seemed to be enough to convince the young woman, for she also put her pistol away and eased the tension. "Shalua Rui of the WRO."

"What are you doing here?" Lightning asked curiously, the name making a vague recognition in her head. "WRO VIPs should be at headquarters for protection." During times of crisis, it was standard protocol for people in the science department to head to the WRO base in the south end of the Western Continent.

Frowning like a guilty child, Shalua shrugged and began pacing around, her eye scouring the vicinity. "I'm here on other business," she admitted before her face revealed traces of trouble. "But something's not right. No trace of Deepground…or the soldiers that were supposed to be fighting them." A look toward Lightning's reaction told her that this wasn't pleasant news. "Your troops?"

Closing her eyes, Lightning worked to control the despair that threatened to cripple her. "No…" The endless possibilities of the WRO members' fates only added to her fear and guilt; her gunblade would have slipped out of her lifeless hand if Vincent hadn't placed an assuring hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find someone, Lightning."

Shalua appeared to express sympathy but ultimately decided to go on her way. "I should get going. Other business, remember?"

Lightning didn't take long in getting back to reality. "It's not safe," she urged as Shalua was about to leave, making sure to do her job properly in spite of the predicament they found themselves in. "Does the commissioner know about this?"

Turning back to them, Shalua humorlessly chuckled. "The commissioner keeps telling me I'm wasting my time searching."

"Searching for what?" Vincent asked just before she was about to take off. As part of the science branch, it was simple to assume that Shalua had little to no experience in combat, and yet she was more than willing to trek through a dangerous city taken over by the enemy.

Shalua simply stopped to look over her shoulder, and some distracting thought kept her from answering immediately. "For my…reason to live."

As she took off without another word, Lightning and Vincent were left in the rain, pondering about what to do now. Lightning feared the meaning behind Shalua's words, and considering the chances, it was close to impossible for any WRO members to still be alive. While the rain continued to soak them in the bitter cold night, they turned back to peer over the corner of the building, uncertainty now filling their hearts to no end.

"Let's go," Lightning said in a low voice before taking point. Together, they carefully walked into the main plaza, keeping their eyes peeled while scouring the rooftops. As Vincent focused above their heads, he noticed the swift movements across the higher ground, figures jumping behind pillars and billboards to conceal their positions.

"They're here," he said quietly enough for only Lightning to receive, and she made sure not to physically respond and tip off the soldiers surrounding them. Instead, she continued on, aiming her gun forward as they passed under an arch to enter one of the Edge districts.

A low growl sounded from above their heads, and the hairs behind Lightning's neck stood erect at how familiar it was. The both of them stopped to slowly crane their heads upward in time to see a Deepground beast pounce on them from a second floor balcony, baring its teeth with a ferocious snarl. Drawing closer, its target appeared to be Lightning until she dove forward to cartwheel; Vincent jumped back as he pulled the gun out of his thigh holster, taking aim and firing three shots before his feet planted on the ground. The bullets dug their way into the creature's helmet, which elicited a painful snarl before the body dropped dead where Lightning previously stood.

She nodded to Vincent with gratitude as he walked up to her. Continuing the walk through the district, they were speechless at the sight of buildings and objects riddled with bullet holes, and as they passed by storm drains, they noticed the tint of blood flowing along with the rain to the gutters. It worried Lightning as to how there were no bodies to retrieve, WRO personnel or civilian. Whatever Deepground was up to, she didn't like it one single bit.

As they turned into a dark alley, quiet gasps and moans caught their attention through the pouring rain. Lightning carefully peered around a steel pillar next to the building, and her eyes widened in fright.

"Sage!"

The young man struggled to look up from his slouched position in a pool of blood. With every heaving breath, he coughed to let more blood drip from the corners of his mouth; his chest was coated with bullet holes, which no doubt went all the way to his backside.

"Captain," he answered in a hoarse voice.

Lightning rushed to his side, not even caring that she was kneeling down in his own blood. Eyes frantically sweeping over his debilitated figure, she didn't know how long he would last. "Don't worry," she told him with bare hope. "We'll call for a medevac and you'll—" She was about to turn to Vincent, who carefully approached them, before Sage used his diminishing strength to grab Lightning's wrist.

"There's no time!" he insisted as she looked back at him. Even when he groaned at the pain, he struggled with the words his captain needed to hear. "Soldier…in red…"

Assuming he meant his assailant, she was now sure who to hunt down. It definitely didn't fit the description of the regular Deepground soldiers she faced – could have been one of the Tsviets Vincent and Reeve talked about. Looking over to Vincent, Lightning checked if it rang any bell, but all she got was a subtle shake of the head.

She turned back to Sage with worried eyes. "What about the others?"

"Warehouse…on the…edge of town…" He finally took one final gulp of breath before tiredly letting it out; as his eyes started fluttering, the grip on Lightning's wrist quickly weakened. She refused to believe what was happening right in front of her eyes, but there was no other way around it. The nightmare was starting to become a reality.

He saw the despair on his captain's face, and the weakest of chuckles escaped his lips. "Sorry, Captain Farron…"

Fixed like stone, she watched his head finally hung slightly to the side, his hand falling to her feet. She wanted to believe that he just lost consciousness, that he would be back to normal once a medevac arrived and treated him…

But the lifeless eyes staring into hers told her otherwise.

Like the rain, silence fell upon them once again, and no movement was made until Vincent stepped forward and knelt down to their level. His hand reached out to gently close Sage's eyes shut before he turned his head toward Lightning.

"I'm sorry," he consoled. Though she heard his voice, Lightning almost thought he just let out an incoherent mumble. She could barely feel the cold rain drenching her anymore. Even if Vincent found comforting words to try and say, nothing could keep the truth from slamming into her and weighing her down immensely.

Being part of a squad was more than just simply obeying orders and doing the job right. Since the formation of Midgar Area Patrol, Lightning got to know each and every one of the members, something she regretted not doing with her past Guardian Corps peers. Their teamwork had always made her proud, and when she truly decided on staying on the Planet for good, the WRO was one of the strongest influences for that decision.

And now the team was broken.

Lightning immediately got up to her feet, turning around and hanging her head low. Gritting her teeth, she struggled against the knives piercing her chest that threatened to make her crumble. Her hand curled into a tight fist at her side, and she could feel her nails almost cutting into her glove.

"We need to find Deepground," she finally said in a hard voice. Despite Reeve's orders for reconnaissance and rescue only, it was impossible to believe Lightning would just sit back and let them get away. Woman in red – that was enough for her to start the hunt. It didn't matter that she and Vincent were in the dead center of a city that's now the enemies' territory; as the immense rage consumed her entire being, she no longer felt the need to be cautious. In fact, she _wanted_ to find those that laid ruin to the home she found comfort in among this new world.

Without looking back, she silently continued down the district, with Vincent soon following. Not far down, the warehouse Sage spoke of came into sight; Lightning and Vincent swiftly pulled out their weapons and held them at the ready. Though she tried to keep a cool head, all Lightning could see was red, and her blood was brought closer to a boil with every step she took.

'_Deepground's in there,'_ she told herself. Her grip on the gunblade tightened, and a part of her just wanted to charge in, guns blazing – she wanted these foes to know just how much they had pissed her off.

As they quietly approached the warehouse, Lightning and Vincent darted to both sides of the single door. He slowly wrapped his hand around the handle, looking toward her for the signal. Once she nodded, Vincent nodded back and threw the door open, the both of them instantly aiming their guns inside to begin an assault…

But all was relatively quiet except for the rain pattering on the roof. There was no other sound or movement, and Lightning took it was an okay to carefully walk in, keeping her gunblade out in front of her. Vincent followed her in and silently closed the door behind him. Trekking further in, they noticed a hole in the skylight above the center of the warehouse, allowing the rain to fall in…drenching a single figure looking above.

At first, they hid behind stacked crates when they saw the figure. When Lightning took a peek to see who it was, she noticed a woman clad in armor similar to the Deepground soldiers. Her upper torso was covered in armor that had the same crimson tint as the duster that dragged itself along the floor. She wore dark boots that went all the way up to her thighs, and gold vambraces adorned her forearms.

The moment she laid eyes upon the woman, there was no doubt about it – she was a member of Deepground…and the one who killed Sage. Lightning could feel the cold sadistic aura emanating through the building, only growing stronger when the woman turned her head toward their positions. She quickly ducked back down, exchanging wary glances with Vincent.

"You know what goes well with rain?" they heard in a voice with a heavy accent. Sure enough, she was well aware of their presence, though she made no attempt to immediately confront them. Instead, the woman chuckled sinisterly.

"A dash of blood."

The remark was enough proof Lightning needed to get up from her spot and unleash a flurry of bullets at the woman. She stepped forward to draw closer, but the Deepground elite quickly dodged the bullets and leapt to the construction beams above their heads. Nevertheless, Lightning continued to fire, doing whatever it took to hit her at least once.

When the woman seemed to be nowhere in sight, Lightning took a few silent moments to track her down, carefully aiming her gun at the ready…but her eyes eventually glanced down at her feet only to widen. Plentiful corpses of the WRO troops were scattered around her, riddled with bullets and drenched in their own blood. After an audible shudder escaped her lips, the sight only heightened her vexation, and all she wanted was the one who caused such a tragedy to happen.

Before she had a chance to look up and restart her pursuit, Vincent appeared beside her in a flash and swept her up into his arms. A swirl of black and red was all she could see while the rapid fire of shots rang through her ears.

He came to a stop just a few feet away before helping Lightning back to her feet; she nodded to him in gratitude once again, doing what she could to put the despair behind her for now. It proved to quickly hamper her abilities, and if she were to survive this night, she needed to focus and work together with Vincent.

Looking toward the higher railings of the warehouse, it wasn't long to find the woman again, this time with a strange scythe-like weapon in her hand. Her bright crimson eyes peered down at them with bloodlust as she smirked.

"Vincent Valentine – keeper of the Protomateria."

He looked at the woman across the warehouse with a perturbed expression. "Protomateria?" All his life, he had never heard of such materia existing, much less what it actually did. What's more, he never "kept" materia in his life.

Regardless, the woman in red just shifted her gaze over to Lightning. "Lightning Farron – the target."

In response, Lightning aimed the gunblade in her direction, having no intention of getting captured so willingly. "If you want me, come and get me."

The woman's lips merely curled upward once again. It was foolish for her to think she could so easily gain the upper hand…but then again, neither Lightning nor Vincent had seen her abilities just yet. As soon as the words escaped Lightning's lips, the Deepground soldier vanished into thin air, only to reappear right before them and swing her blade at them. Lightning and Vincent jumped back just before the weapon could slice through their faces, and adrenaline immediately began rushing through their veins.

Lightning skidded back before dropping to one knee; lifting her head, she flicked her gunblade into sword mode and charged forward. Her efforts soon became in vain, for the woman simply dodged in a flash and shifted behind her.

"Lightning!" Vincent tried to warn…but it was far too late. By the time she spun around, the woman in red threw a backhand strike against Lightning, sending her flying into a steel construction pillar. The Blazefire Saber clattered on the ground, and painful agony coursed through her body as she fell to follow suit. For a while, her whole body was numb, leaving her to watch as the woman turned her attention to Vincent and launched him across to the adjacent wall with a single punch.

She chuckled as she began sauntering toward Vincent's spot. "Do not underestimate a Tsviet, darling."

A bright crimson shine suddenly flashed in the direction of where Vincent was thrown, catching both of the women's intrigued attentions. As Lightning struggled to prop herself up on her elbows, a mysterious figure levitated from Vincent's spot and hovered above the stacks, giant bat-like wings flapping from its back. A dim glow illuminated its chest, but what frightened her most were the gold eyes that had been seared into her memory for so long…

From the very day she was taken from Pulse.

Adorned in Vincent's clothing, the creature leered down at the woman before another blinding light enveloped its form. A great gust of wind blew throughout the warehouse just as Lightning moved to sit upright and leaned against the steel pillar. She moved her arms to shield herself from the pressure and light; there were sounds of the other woman struggling until the blowing wind drowned out everything else. Inhaling deeply, Lightning found it hard to breathe for long seconds before the wind and light finally died down.

Exhausted, she leaned forward and shot her arms out to support herself over the ground. Her heart started to insanely beat within her chest, fear, anger, and pain mixing all into one.

"He's...It can't be…!"

After she looked up, Vincent had already changed back to his normal form – the one used to cloak his true face – and collapsed to the ground. The other woman was nowhere to be seen, but her presence meant little to Lightning at the moment. She only watched his still body for what seemed like hours before Shalua suddenly appeared from the stacks.

"Looks like you guys need some help," she remarked while walking up to Lightning, who just looked at her aghast. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

The WRO captain struggled to find words. "W-Where-?"

"To headquarters."

Once Shalua held out a hand, Lightning took it and got up to her feet, though not without staggering. Her mind was far too lost as Shalua went to check on Vincent; once her eyes went to the shapeshifter on the floor, there was a sense of accomplishment tied with feelings of despair.

How could she not have made the connection before? The first Planet native she met wasn't Cloud, but the one who changed into a strange creature named Chaos...

The one who ripped her away from her home against her will.


	24. Good to Know

**Good to Know**

For a while, the WRO Headquarters had been in an uproar. The Western Continent struggled to fortify its defenses and secure the civilians from harm, though it was easier said than done. Stationed close to Gongaga, they were lucky to only worry about one side of a land strike…but it Deepground ever found a way to attack from the waters, it was a whole new issue they had to face.

Once they made sure the refugees in Junon were safe, WRO troops focused on equally dividing their numbers through the other cities. Of course, the higher-ups were summoned for planning and strategizing in one of the conference rooms at Headquarters…but there was one who simply remained in the labs after recuperation.

The wounds she received against the Tsviet weren't severe; a little rest was all she needed after the long day of evacuation and reconnaissance. When she awoke, a member of the science department led her to her "partner", who now remained recovering in a fluid-filled tube. Most of the staff had left to assist the militia except for Shalua, the woman who helped them back in Edge. As she continued working on one of the monitors scattered across the room, Lightning slowly walked up to the tube Vincent was held in. Her mouth easily turned into a fixed scowl as her hands tightened into fists; whatever respect she had left for him was draining away quickly.

"You tend to stare at him often?" Shalua asked somewhat jokingly while walking up to her side. Lightning didn't bother to turn her head; all she could think about was the frustration building up inside.

"No," she replied flatly.

Shalua nodded, getting the hint of what kind of mood she was in. "I'm sure he'll be all right…That was a little creepy, though, don't you think? That beast inside him slipping through?"

Lightning's jaw began to tighten at the thought – if such a thing wasn't controlled, who knew where any of them would end up? "Chaos…"

Stepping back, Shalua looked at her with surprise. Her gaze switched over to Vincent as she marveled at his being. "You mean this man harbors the Chaos gene?" she asked with wonder. It was like a child fascinated with a shiny new toy, but Lightning failed to see how exciting it was to discover such a monstrosity. "That explains a lot."

Her words gave a big hint; Lightning turned to her with her trademark cold and stern eyes. "What exactly _is_ Chaos? It's…" She had to think of an excuse for inquiring, for it was clear that her attitude wasn't earning her bonus points. "It's never been mentioned to me before."

"Based on what I've heard and read, it's an entity that acts in a time of great peril." Only part of Shalua's attention was given to her, and the rest solely focused on observing Vincent's body and status on the screen beside his tube. "It works as a catalyst Weapon for Omega. Still, there's so much we don't know – the only research done on it has been lost for decades."

Imbued with such an old power, no wonder it had a great influence on him. As Lightning gazed upon Vincent, she didn't know how to feel for him. The anger came from figuring out his role in bringing her to the Planet, while she also pitied him for living such a cursed life. Frozen in time, stuck with a monster inside…she couldn't imagine still being sane after a year, let alone _decades_.

She turned around once she heard the doors to the room open, and Reeve came in with a relieved smile. "Lightning. You seem to have recovered fine."

"How long has Vincent been Chaos?" The dark tone in her words worried him. It never occurred to him or the others that she would need to be fully debriefed on the being residing within Vincent. With Deepground pursuing the both of them, it wasn't particularly clear as to what the true aim was.

"_How long_?" Lightning pressed, her teeth beginning to grit together.

Hesitant at first, Reeve knew there was no way to dodge her edgy insistence. "Vincent was experimented on thirty years ago by the head of Shinra's Science Research Division. His body was almost rendered disposable and a "failure" until another scientist infused his body with Chaos."

"Lucrecia Crescent wrote a thesis on the Chaos gene after discovering it—" Shalua was about to enter a scientific tangent when Lightning abruptly strode past Reeve and headed toward the door. "Where are you going?"

Lightning thought for a quick moment and stopped in her tracks, yet she didn't bother to turn back to the others. "Where's Cloud?" she asked in a hard voice. "Is he still in Junon?"

She heard Reeve let out an audible sigh; expecting some kind of intervention, she was instead surprised by his response. "No. He's with Tifa and the others in Conference Room 2."

Without another word, she left the room, storming through the hall to reach the escalators. All the while, Lightning continued to mull over the simple yet vexing fact: Vincent was Chaos, the entity that somehow managed to enter her world and pull her out of it. In the back of her head, she still wanted to thoroughly check its origins, despite the near impossibility to dig up Shinra records…

But this one revelation couldn't be let go so easily.

Lightning steadfastly approached the automatic doors that led to the inquired conference room, and she found Cloud conversing with Tifa, Barret, and the kids. Their seemingly easy attitudes only infuriated her – it may have been necessary to keep Marlene and Denzel calm, but it was like they didn't give a care about the extreme danger just slumbering within the building.

The closer she drew, the quicker her steps were. Cloud saw her out of the corner of his eye and turned to greet her…though he was met with a rough shove against his shoulder.

"You knew, didn't you?" she demanded.

He definitely wasn't expecting such a harsh greeting. "Know what?" he asked bewilderedly. Suddenly, his face turned dark and serious, suspecting the worst from her mission with Vincent in Edge. "Light, what happened?"

She gritted her teeth; it was like she had to spell things out for him. "That Vincent was Chaos – you knew?!"

"Yeah, we did," he answered with complete and confused honesty; the innocence enraged Lightning even more. With a perplexed expression, Cloud looked back to exchange glances with Barret and Tifa, who only shrugged clueless. In between, Marlene and Denzel warily cringed at the loud words before stepping back to avoid being caught in crossfire. He turned back to Lightning, who still glared at him with frustration. "Did something happen to make Vincent lose control?"

Sighing with exasperation, she turned to slam her hands on the top of the long table beside them. The others merely watched her muscles tense, and Cloud calmly moved to stand beside her, trying to find a way to glimpse at her hard expression.

"It's his fault," she growled, as if cursing Vincent's very existence. "_He's_ the one who took me from Pulse. I knew I recognized his face from somewhere." For months, Lightning contemplated about the familiarity whenever Vincent popped up in her mind. Though her first sight of him was a bit obscure, she was definite it was the face of Chaos she saw when it dragged her out of her home.

Her hands started to curl into tight fists on the table. "If…If it weren't for him, I'd…" It was painful to think about it, especially after long months of beating down the inevitable pain. Lightning thought she had ultimately decided to let go, to accept her fate and live here peacefully with Cloud.

But that was when she thought all hope to return to Pulse was lost.

Beside her, Cloud was able to finish her sentence with difficulty as he took a step back and clenched his fists. It was so easy to see where she was going with this; it had been her single strand of hope for the first month on the Planet. He wished somewhere in the tiny amount of selfishness he had that Lightning would truly let go of her distant past…

And it was a foolish wish.

"You'd still be on Pulse," he said, finishing her sentence with a dead and flat tone. Surprised by his voice, Lightning turned around to see the dark scowl on his face, and she instantly regretted her words. "You'd still be home, with your sister and friends. And you never would have come here."

She knew where he was going with this, as well as Barret and Tifa behind him. If Vincent hadn't somehow pulled Lightning out of Pulse, she would have never met Cloud and the others. He wondered how long Lightning kept this inside her – it was clear in her voice that she resented Vincent for taking her to the Planet. Through all the smiles and unforgettable moments they shared, did she still wish that she could return home and leave him behind? Cloud refused to think about letting her go…but did Lightning even feel the same?

Speechless, she struggled to find what to say, but there was nothing that could take back her words or the damage they made. Like before, she was too blinded by her anger to think straight, and she only ended up hurting those dear to her. Lightning peered behind Cloud to see the worried faces of Tifa and Barret, as well as Marlene and Denzel not too far away. "Cloud…I—"

But he just held up a hand to stop her, the scowl staying strong on his face. "No, I get it," he muttered with an edge in his tone before storming out of the room. With an exasperated sigh, Lightning closed her eyes and leaned back against the table, frustrated at this turn of events. She couldn't deny what Cloud said – she wanted to go back home. After seeing Vincent change into Chaos, all she could imagine was being on Pulse once again, seeing the smiling faces of Serah and her fiancé, Snow. What mattered now was what she was willing to let go…

Her past or her heart.

"Lightning…" Tifa couldn't stand watching her friend suffer with the choices before her, nor could she bear the thought of losing Lightning altogether. They were family, and after losing hers in Nibelheim many years ago, she didn't want this one to be broken apart.

Barret sighed before walking up to place a hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Listen, I know how easy it is to hold onto anger and vengeance."

With a frown, she looked up at him in confusion. "I'm not—"

"You hate Vincent," he simplified, and she found no way to deny it. All her anger was stemming from the revelation, and hearing his name instinctively brought her blood to a boil. Lightning wanted to keep thinking that he was an ally she could trust, but she didn't know if she could do so anymore.

Barret nodded, understanding her silent response. "It's easy for you to feel that way – I get that. For a long time, I hated the Shinra Company with a burning passion. They destroyed my hometown, killed my wife…and ruined Marlene's childhood."

With a gasp, Lightning glanced toward the little girl. It was impossible to imagine a girl so young having to go through a terrible experience, losing both of her birth parents without even knowing them.

"But I let that anger take control of me," Barret continued. "And I was reckless. I destroyed the lives of others in my crusade…and looking back, it was wrong of me to do so."

Tifa could see that she was a bit lost. "What Barret's trying to get at is…blaming Vincent won't solve anything."

With a sigh, Lightning had to accept the truth. It didn't seem like Vincent had any particular control over the beast inside him, eliminating him as the cause. "I know that," she admitted. "It's just…My ticket home could be so close." No matter how hard she tried to beat down those feelings, she still wanted to see her sister again, to see her get married, and live in the new world she and the others had created. A life without fal'Cie – it was what she had dreamt about throughout her trial as a l'Cie. When she turned up on the Planet, giving up that happiness was difficult…but Cloud helped her become just as happy, possibly even more.

Marlene slowly walked up and looked at Lightning with a sad frown. "You want to go back?"

Lightning certainly had to give it thought. Pulse wasn't her only home anymore; she also belonged to the Planet, a world she swore to protect when she signed up for the WRO. Though she knew it would be hard for her to leave them behind, it would also be a challenge for them to watch her go. With a tight smile, she crouched down to Marlene's level and placed a hand softly on her head.

"Not if it means making you sad."

Even when Lightning reassured the young girl, Barret and Tifa couldn't ignore the hint of sadness they caught in her actions. She was faced with a difficult decision, and though it seems like she made a choice for the better, she couldn't deny the regret they saw. Neither of them had a true home waiting for them, but Lightning had her sister, her future brother-in-law, and all the comrades she worked with throughout her life. It wasn't easy to leave that life behind, no matter how much time had passed.

As Tifa and Barret exchanged worried glances, the walls of the conference room began to tremble, heavy booms echoing outside. While fear was busy striking their hearts, the door was thrown open to frighten Marlene and Denzel. The chaotic noise flooded the room, and Deepground soldiers quickly moved to block the entrance and aim their guns at the group.

Tifa swiftly wrapped her arms around Marlene and Denzel, gathering them close to her chest while her back faced Deepground. Still in her crouched position, Lightning pulled the gunblade out of its holster and spun on the ball of her foot before unleashing bullets on the soldiers. Barret's arm instantly morphed into a gun and joined her in the retaliation, though his mind was a bit frantic for Marlene's safety.

With precise accuracy, they dealt with the Deepground soldiers in very little time, but they still had the rest of the facility to handle.

"Damn," Barret growled. "They found us."

Lightning huffed with frustration as she stood up. Just when she hoped to stop Deepground without more loss of lives, they had to be drawn to the headquarters, where many innocent lives in the WRO were in danger.

"Lightning," Tifa said with urgency while getting up to lay her hands on Marlene and Denzel's shoulders. "You should get out of here with Marlene and Denzel."

All she got in response was a firm shake of the head. "I can't. If Deepground catches up to me, they'll be in danger."

Tifa gasped at the thought; Lightning was their goal, and they certainly wouldn't mind letting the incident in Edge repeat itself. After giving a quick glance to the children, she nodded. "All right."

"Get 'em somewhere safe, Tifa," Barret told her, nudging his head toward the secret door in the corner of the room. From beside him, Lightning took a quick snipe back to the main entrance, and another soldier that noticed the opened door instantly dropped dead. Once Tifa and the kids took off, Barret turned back to Lightning with a smirk. "Ready to put a lil' zap into these guys?"

Giving a dark chuckle, she returned the smirk and held the Blazefire Sabre at the ready. "Always."

* * *

Luckily, he reached his room in time before the alarm rang through the halls, or else he wouldn't have been able to grab his compiled sword and rush back toward the main lobby. Soon enough, Cloud saw Deepground soldiers round a corner, aiming their guns in his direction. The moment the bullets were unleashed, he ejected the hollow blade from his sword and began deflecting them as he continued on. Once he was close enough, he sliced through their numbers smoothly; they were sent flying back or into the walls of the limited space in the hallway, giving Cloud a chance to see the pandemonium erupted in the lobby.

Deepground soldiers infiltrated the hallways en masse, coming into immediate combat with the surprised WRO members. Cloud could feel the floor tremble beneath his feet; they didn't just pack mere guns with them. As he attached the hollow blade to his sword again, his mind was racing in finding their agenda…and then it hit him.

'_Lightning!'_

Cloud raced across the third floor, not even bothering to deal with the soldiers he shoved out of his way. Bullets whizzed past while debris flew around, but it didn't stop him or his quick pace. When he reached the conference room, the only ones in sight were the remaining Deepground corpses lying at his feet. He quickly thought about where she could possibly be…and the obvious and most probable answer made him growl before turning back around to the middle of the facility.

'_Dammit. Just can't sit still, can she?'  
_

* * *

Lightning and Barret cleared their way to the main lobby, taking out the seemingly endless amount of Deepground troops that charged at them. With her speed, Lightning worked to make sure they weren't ambushed as Barret focused on decimating their numbers and helping the WRO.

"I can't be close to you," she yelled over her shoulder. "They're after me and Vincent!"

Barret refused to simply let her have her way, roaring as he unleashed more bullets into oncoming soldiers. "Right. You think I'll just leave you to fend for yourself?! Can't do that!" Once they had a moment of reprieve, he turned to her with sincere eyes. "I gotta help you and Vincent out of this mess. Besides, Marlene will be sad if anything happened to you."

She looked up at him with surprise, touched by his words.

"I still haven't thanked you enough for looking after her along with Tifa and Cloud. From what she told me, you helped her out of a bind a couple of times."

Slightly shaking her head, Lightning was almost at a loss for words. "It's nothing…" Before she could say anything else, another wave of soldiers flooded the main lobby, and she worked with Barret to eliminate them. Lightning ran toward them, Barret firing bullets around her to make sure she wasn't hit. With a flick of her wrist, the Blazefire Sabre extended into sword mode, and she sliced through the front line with little difficulty. One of them jumped up from the back row with his blade high above his head; sensing him, she quickly brought her sword up to block his strike, exerting a strong force to push him back and collide with some of his comrades to knock them down.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lightning noticed a young girl traverse through a private door not too far away. She was dressed in a similar armor as the Deepground soldiers…and it meant trouble for the rest of the WRO headquarters.

Acting fast, she twirled in a circular motion to throw back any soldier in her blade's range. Lightning was left in a clear area as the soldiers struggled on the floor.

"Barret!" she called over her shoulder.

He nodded immediately, understanding her intention. "I got your back. Go!"

She darted off to the door before it had a chance to fully close, and she threw it wide open for her to run down the long corridor. Her eyes flashed everywhere, hoping to find the young girl in time…but she had already vanished.

When Lightning reached a wide hallway, she stopped to observe her surroundings; in a cross intersection, there was no way of easily knowing where the young girl had gone. Just then, the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise, and she knew something was amiss close by. She felt a multitude of strange presences all around, moving invisibly in an endless fashion…or rather, it was one presence moving faster than she could track.

She heard a strange low electric hum from behind, prompting her to flip back and land behind the strange entity with the Blazefire Saber drawn out. Two orange rods appeared to be hovering in mid-air, prepared to strike her previous spot, and two glowing eyes accompanied them before an image of the young girl became visible. The tip of the gunblade lightly touched the ends of her spiky brunette hair. What amazed Lightning as the girl turned around was how young she actually was, for she seemed to be just in her childhood phase, at an age too young to be associated with Deepground.

"You certainly live up to your reputation," she said with a tone devoid of any emotion. Her fearlessness intimidated Lightning; she couldn't bring herself to hurt her. As Lightning quickly scrutinized the girl from head to toe, she came to a logical conclusion.

"You're a Tsviet?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, and you're Lightning Farron – the target."

With that, Lightning glared and stepped back to hold the gunblade above her head. The young girl readied herself with her two electromagnetic sabers, her mako-filled eyes glowing once again with an orange tint. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared before Lightning, a move the soldier barely had any chance of detecting.

After she gasped, she could sense rapid movement all around like before. Lightning flipped her weapon back into its gun form and started off, heading toward the corridor in front of her. As soon as she started, though, a loud hum shrieked in her ear before a swift force crashed down onto her shoulder. Lightning felt herself stumble forward, her right shoulder stinging with pain, but she used the momentum to spin around and crouch low. She instantly fired off into the intersection, where the young girl's image flashed in and out of sight in various places. With every shot, the walls released a blunt thudding sound – a clear sign that she was missing every single time.

Just when Lightning had to reload, the young girl then appeared before her, only a step away from striking. Lightning growled with frustration over her predicament, but she closed her eyes and waited for what was to come.

A tremendous wave of energy tore through in between them, making the girl reel back to avoid getting caught in the force. As the pressure swept the air out of her lungs, Lightning glanced to her left to see the visible wave disperse down the corridor. She whipped her head to the right and found Cloud rushing up, his sword in hand.

As she turned her attention forward, the young girl was nowhere in sight, and her presence could no longer be sensed. Lightning got up to her feet just when Cloud reached her, his eyes worriedly checking if she was badly hurt.

"Will you be okay?" he asked, nodding toward her shoulder.

Placing a hand on it, she grimaced for a moment. "I'll manage."

Cloud looked around for the strange girl he saw, suspicion already rising along with his anger. "Was she…?"

"A Tsviet."

After sighing deeply, he grabbed her free wrist and pulled her to follow him down the corridor he came from. It led farther away from the main lobby, and hopefully from most of Deepground. All the while, Lightning stayed quiet, her wrist burning to Cloud's touch; their words from before echoed through her head, and guilt decided to settle in at the wrong time. With him here, trying to protect her must have been pure instinct to Cloud now. How could she leave behind someone so precious to her, especially when it meant that their blissful future together was on the line?

They turned a sharp corner to head to the back of the facility, anxious to get out of harm's way, when the ceiling above them crashed down from the upper floor. As pebbles and debris knocked into their feet, Lightning and Cloud stopped in their tracks and looked over their shoulders to stare at the unreal sight. A tan giant towered over them in custom-made Deepground armor. His cerulean locks framed the face that held glowing yellow eyes, which sneered down upon the two to strike fear.

"The target," he said in a booming voice. A gigantic hand was held out before them, as if ready to take some kind of peace offering. "Give her to me."

Lightning's brows knitted tightly together as her hand moved back to unsheathe her gunblade from its holster. "Never!" she cried before firing off her bullets toward him. They ricocheted off a mysterious barrier protecting the man, and he grinned sinisterly as looks of horror masked Lightning and Cloud's faces.

"Let's go!" Cloud tugged on her arm, and they continued down the corridor at top speed. The floor trembled in rhythm as the man barreled after them. Every large step he took brought him closer; no matter how fast they ran, he would definitely catch up in no time.

Up ahead, Cloud and Lightning noticed the door leading to the main armory wide open. A brand new rocket launcher from Junon was atop a row of crates. Once the two of them entered, Lightning darted for the weapon and hoisted it on her left shoulder once she spun around. The giant man continued charging in after them, a wide grin spreading across his face with wicked glee. After flicking a few switches, Lightning took aim and pulled the trigger.

Though a relatively small missile shot out, the impact was more than enough to send Lightning flying back a few feet. Cloud hurried to her side as she propped herself up on her arms, glaring back to the entrance.

"Did we get him…?"

Her hope was soon demolished, for when the dust and smoke cleared away, a reflective barrier shimmered before the man until it crumbled into nothing. In his hands was a different sort of rocket launcher, which made Lightning and Cloud curse under their breaths.

"Rosso wasn't bluffing," he said with a smirk. "You truly are formidable."

Cloud rushed forward with his sword in hand, but the giant barely flinched as he fired off a missile in his direction. When it came close, Cloud leapt high into the air and out of the giant's vision…but it didn't stop him from firing another missile toward Lightning. Sensing the danger, she shifted herself into a low crouch and flipped backward just before the missile arrived. As it sailed through from under her, Lightning pulled out her Blazefire Saber in midair and fired a few bullets at the man. They proved to be ineffective, for the barrier protecting him before regenerated and stopped the bullets' paths.

When Lightning landed back on her feet, she saw the man smirk with sinister delight. "Frontal attacks are useless against me," he taunted.

"Good to know."

The voice behind him was dangerously familiar. Before he could react, a large blade slammed down on his backside, forcing him to drop the rocket launcher and fly across the room. His large frame barely missed Lightning and slammed into the wall at the end, and he fell to the ground to make it tremble beneath his weight. Once he let out a tiring sigh of defeat, Lightning and Cloud waited for any more movement afterward, and they took a breath of relief when he was finally unconscious.

"Cloud! Lightning!"

From behind Cloud, Reeve and Vincent ran up, both looking a little worse for wear. As Lightning got up to group up with them, her eyes tensely observed Vincent, and she felt the need to put as much distance between as needed before anyone noticed.

"What happened?" Reeve asked.

Lightning jabbed a thumb over her shoulder, indicating the man lying unconscious on the other side of the room. "Just had a run-in with Big Foot."

Peering across the room, Reeve and Vincent shared a look of surprise. "Azul the Cerulean," the commissioner mused. "We met him back in Kalm."

"There was another – a girl," Cloud explained.

Reeve nodded. "Vincent took care of her, and the rest of headquarters is secured."

Though it seemed like they won the battle, there was no time for relaxation. As they returned to the lobby, Lightning called Tifa to assure their safety while Cloud and Barret helped the WRO in clean-up duty. She hung up just when she noticed Vincent and Reeve conversing; once the former left to the main doors, Lightning approached Reeve with a hard face.

"Where's _he_ going?" she inquired acidly.

"Nibelheim. Dr. Crescent conducted her experiments in the mansion's basement. Hopefully, he'll come back with some answers about the situation."

"And you're just letting him go on his own?! What if that thing inside him—"

"Chaos isn't something he can easily control," he said in a hard voice, making Lightning instantly drop her argument. With a weary sigh, he ran a hand over his face, wondering where to start. "Vincent told me everything when he woke up. About a year ago, Chaos turned violent out of the blue, and he couldn't remember what happened in the days it took over."

Lightning shuddered. "Days…?"

Reeve nodded. "It coincides with your appearance in the church. He felt you were connected to the incident since you two met, but there was barely anything to go on."

All this time, she thought there was nothing she could do about her predicament, and so her single lead of some chaos died soon after she arrived on the Planet. Assuming Vincent and Chaos were the same was so easy; Lightning failed to consider that they were just merely two different entities sharing the same body. Could she really hold him responsible over something he had no hand in?

As Reeve sighed and scratched the back of his head, he figured it would be meaningless to dwell on the matter with the little time given. "We'll get this sorted out later," he said in a softer voice. "In the meantime, I wanted to ask you and Cloud to go to Midgar."

Lightning looked at him a little confused. "But yesterday…"

"At first, I wanted to make sure we could gather more intel on what we're to face…but with Deepground launching a surprise attack like this, we can't afford to stay on the defensive for too long. You need to find out what Deepground and the Tsviets are up to so we can take proper action."

When she turned her head back to the lobby, Lightning was surprised to see Cloud standing not too far away, listening to the last bit of their conversation. The thought of them working together would have been completely fine under different circumstances…but now she couldn't even look at him without a heavy heart.

Likewise, Cloud found it difficult to simply act as if there was no rift between them. If they continued on like this, they could eventually find a way for Lightning to return to Pulse, which was far from what he wanted. Of course, he didn't want to give up this slice of happiness he found after years of darkness…but how could he force Lightning from finding her own heaven?


	25. I Miss My Home

**I Miss My Home**

All were silent before the freshly filled graves, either paying their respects or in too much shock for words. Only a very few thought they should have used this time to focus on preparing for the war against Deepground, but it was heartless to ignore the immense loss of lives over the past few days. As for those whose bodies were never retrieved, a brand new stone pillar stood in place for them, waiting for a memorable epitaph to be etched upon it.

Some of Midgar Area Patrol was allowed to fly over from Junon to attend the brief funeral. Jane and the others shed painful tears over their comrades' graves, unable to accept that their good friends were no longer with them. Not too far away, Lightning felt the guilt weighing down in her heart; the call she made to her squads back in Junon was one of the hardest conversations she ever had in her life. The attack at headquarters was no different than that night in Edge…

People died, had their lives on the line, because of her.

As Lightning felt the stinging tears flood her eyes, she glanced across the small field to see Cloud join the others in their mourning. It was difficult to try and ask for comfort from him, given the circumstances. Despair began to cripple her entire being…and yet she was stuck on what to do.

Once the band of people began to disperse and return to their duties in grief, Reeve motioned for Lightning and Cloud to assemble with him as he talked to one of the pilots within the WRO. "This is Phelps," he introduced when they approached. "He'll fly you over to Midgar, but he'll drop you off in the fields. We don't want to risk another ambush by getting too close."

Lightning nodded. "Yes, sir." As they headed toward the fleets of airships, she and Cloud avoided any eye contact while they were too close together for comfort. Neither said a word to the other since the fight against Azul, their frustration finding no way to be released. Even when they boarded the airship just before take-off, they had went their separate ways – Lightning to the cockpit, and Cloud toward the cabins.

After giving her greetings to the other operatives on board, Lightning looked out the wide window surrounding the cockpit; hundreds of WRO members rushed to their respective stations in preparation for the future battles against Deepground. She hated thinking they were going to risk their lives for a fight she firmly believed was meant for her and Vincent. In the massive chaos surrounding the Planet, the top priority seemed to be capturing the two of them for reasons only known to Deepground. As a part of her wished for Vincent to find something in Nibelheim, it surprised her as to how sudden she started trusting him again. Perhaps she finally understood his role as a tool to the monster inside him – Chaos. It was hardly any different than her being branded as a l'Cie to destroy Cocoon for the deities of her world, and she remembered the crippling helplessness upon learning that her so-called freedom on Cocoon was just a lie.

Being a slave to something about you that can never change…was no way to live.

With a sigh, Lightning turned to retreat toward the cabins, hoping to find some time to rest up after the long fight at headquarters. Strolling through the long row of rooms, she mindlessly glanced from door to door, attempting to clear her mind of the stress until relaxation could finally hit her. It seemed to work…until Cloud showed up on the other side of the hall.

When they first made eye contact, both of them stopped in their tracks, surprised to see the other. An unbearable sensation coursed through Lightning's body while she fought the urge to just run into his arms. Her foot took a small but heavy step forward, and the moment it looked like she was going into motion again, Cloud headed to the closest door and shut himself in the room. Silence rang through the hall once again, only more cold and stagnant.

Lightning swallowed down the giant lump in her throat as she took deep slow breaths. His reactions were arguably reasonable, but nonetheless, she felt lost and helpless. As much as she wanted to take back the words from the conference room…she just couldn't. The thought of returning to Pulse was dangling in front of her on a simple piece of thread, urging her to take action. If she went back to spending her time in finding a way home, perhaps she _could_ go back, and Serah and the others would welcome her back with open arms.

Fighting back the tears, she did her best to continue down the hall in a normal pace, her fists clenched at her sides. Her head was sturdily fixed forward as she passed by Cloud's room; no matter what, she wasn't going to take even a glance to see if he was going to come out.

But it didn't matter. As soon as she was in sight, a hand shot out from the room and pulled her inside, and her vision was greatly obscured by the dim lighting. The door was slammed shut behind her before Lightning found herself shoved against the wall next to it; rough hands gripped her upper arms tightly, and she was left captive. Lips instantly crushed hers into silence, but she never thought of protesting as she crumbled at his touch.

As Cloud's hands snaked down to firmly grip her hips, Lightning made sure their lips were constantly locked together, roughly holding his face close to hers. It was like their bodies could never be close enough to each other, but she was certain of one thing – this time was sure to be different than the last. She could sense the dark emptiness in his actions, as if he was seeking out some kind of lifeboat in the silent turmoil taking hold of his heart. This was all she could offer…at least for the moment.

* * *

He let the both of them tiredly slide down to the floor, desperately gasping for air as sweat drenched his face and locks. After struggling to pull his pants up to his waist, Cloud didn't bother fastening it properly. He crawled over to the wall and used the rest of his energy to lean against it, using the moment to recuperate. The clothes glued themselves onto his body, punishing him for refusing to take the time to pull them off.

A few feet away, he saw Lightning lying sluggishly on the floor, her back turned to him. Her body heaved in rhythm as she tried to steady her heart. In his mind, Cloud knew he should have been gentler than he was; if it weren't for the slightest ounce of self-control he retained, her clothes could have been torn to shreds, as well as the black shorts that were thrown close to where he sat.

Even through that, the emptiness inside didn't fade away. It was still there, and every time he glanced toward Lightning, it grew even bigger than before. Clenching his hand into a tight fist, Cloud had no other choice but to accept the truth. He wanted Lightning too much, and the thought of her wanting to leave him behind was unacceptable to him. It was selfish – he knew that much…but the obscured future he saw when his words from yesterday ran through his head was impossible.

'_I need her,'_ he thought greedily to himself. _'I need her here…with me.'_

After a few more minutes of dead silence, Lightning slowly got up from her place, shifting her disheveled clothes back to normal. A short alarm rang through the rooms and halls, and the intercom speakers blared with a voice.

"_**We will arrive in Midgar Area in ten minutes. I repeat: we will arrive in Midgar Area in ten minutes."**_

Neither said a word as Lightning got up and crossed the room to get her shorts. Cloud watched as she fixed her skirt over them and went back to fasten her gunblade pouch back onto her belt from behind. She slowly ran a hand through her hair once, and her head angled upward to look at the ceiling.

"I miss Pulse, Cloud," she finally murmured in a soft voice. He could hear the pain she tried to fight down, and the clear sincerity of her words struck something inside of him. "I miss my home."

The airship suddenly went into slight turbulence - a sign that they were close to their destination. Cloud couldn't focus on anything around him as the emptiness started twisting him from the inside. All this time, it had been manipulating him to go to such extremes: he scorned Lightning's wishes for his own selfish benefit of keeping her with him, and by driving her into guilt, she had no other choice but to comply. Cloud gritted his teeth with a stiff jaw at how disgusting he was, barely noticing Lightning as she approached the door next to him with a hard face.

"But I keep telling myself it's all right…because you're with me."

Who was he to decide if Lightning stayed or went? Since the beginning, Lightning continued to make sacrifices time and again for the sake of others, and yet this one wish she kept in her heart was the thing he dreaded the most. The reason Cloud wanted her close was to protect the light she brought with her presence. Would that very light die just because he refused to help her get what she desired for so long? Even if they saw this through without the outcome she hoped for, it was uncertain if Lightning would still be able to love him and his primitive need.

When she left the room to prepare for landing, Cloud clenched his hand into a tight fist and slammed it against the wall, seeking out a way to get rid of the frustration that threatened to consume him. Leaving behind or being left behind – which one was harder? More importantly…

How was he supposed to let her go?

* * *

Once they hovered over the barren wastelands in the outskirts of Midgar, WRO members aligned themselves next to the ledge on deck, aiming their guns down in case Deepground was aware of their presence. From afar, the ruins seemed relatively peaceful and calm, but all of them dreaded the truth hidden beneath the crumbled tower that was once Shinra Headquarters.

Lightning and Cloud appeared from the door that led to the inside, squinting against the orange sun that was falling over the horizon.

"We'll be on standby over the waters," one of the lieutenants announced.

Lightning nodded, her eyes still fixated on the landscape. "Right. If the situation turns bad, get away as fast as you can and return to headquarters."

"But captain—"

"That's an order," she commanded sternly; she turned to him with hard eyes, and her voice was a bit colder than usual. If there was one thing she could do, it was to save as many lives as possible. Lightning wasn't planning on seeing these men meet the same fates as their comrades…not as long as she was still alive.

The lieutenant obediently complied, and Lightning went to step up on the ledge; the other WRO members watched her in shock and confusion. Though Cloud was silent, he also wondered what was running through her mind. Jumping from this height was suicide, even for those with their kind of physique. As she kept perfect balance despite the blowing wind, Lightning peered back over her shoulder and nodded to the rest of the crew.

"Stay close behind," she told Cloud, and before he could ask what she meant, Lightning suddenly leapt off the rails, diving head first toward the streets of Midgar. Some of the soldiers gasped with fright as they watched her descend, crying out loud if she was sane. Cloud's mind quickly raced; he knew better than to question her flagrant decisions, even when they seemed perilous to say the least.

Choosing not to have any regrets, he went around the group of soldiers watching her fall and climbed up on the rails before jumping off. With one hand over his shoulder to steady his sword, Cloud maneuvered through the air to be precisely behind Lightning, using her red cape as a target. As they increasingly approached the city, he saw an electric blue flash envelope her body once the buildings' shadows grabbed hold of her. Lightning somersaulted in time to land in a clear patch of ground on her feet, unharmed and unscathed as the transparent sheet left a residual circle around her spot. The moment she stood up, her feet shifted out of the circle just before Cloud flipped around to land in the exact same location. He slowly got up, amazed at the feat he and many others deemed impossible.

Once he looked over to Lightning, she already had the Blazefire Saber pulled out in its gun mode, holding it at the ready before starting the way toward the Shinra building. The city was clear of troops or even signs of life, and suspicion immediately rose within them. Taking precaution, they hid themselves well before approaching the headquarters; Cloud darted off to see if the coast was clear, and once he successfully reached the front of the main lobby, he motioned for Lightning to follow and enter along with him.

The Shinra Headquarters seemed to be exactly as Cloud remembered – from the mini monuments scattered throughout the building to the old SOLDIER floor where all SOLDIER operatives reported. Since Meteorfall, not even Deepground bothered to move anything out of place, probably not to alert anyone who came snooping about their presence.

Losing himself in his thoughts, Cloud remembered that fateful day when he was sent to Nibelheim with Zack and Sephiroth – the core of all his troubles. If he was able to truly join SOLDIER and be in Zack's shoes…could he have saved his hometown from its terrible fate?

Without any trouble, he led Lightning to the one elevator that Reeve said only Shinra higher-ups would use, namely Heidegger and Scarlet. Hojo took a couple of trips with it himself, but everyone was too focused on avoiding the man to truly delve into his agenda. It came as little surprise that it was able to work after all this time; both of them remained silent as they boarded and descended to the lower levels, but they kept their weapons at the ready.

When the elevator finally reached the bottom floor, Cloud was the first to get out and trek through the sewer-like pathways. The whirring of mechanisms echoed through the vicinity like a factory, and he began to worry even more about what their enemies were up to. Lightning and Cloud silently made their way past the patrolmen making their rounds – it was best to stay hidden when stuck with but one exit available. One unlucky Deepground soldier happened to catch them just as they turned a sharp corner, but Lightning swiftly rushed up to grip his head and snap his neck in an instant. Before his body could heavily collapse on the floor, Cloud helped Lightning catch it in time and gently lay it down.

A conveyer belt suddenly went into motion above their heads, and a long steel trailer traveled along toward the center of the complex. Listening closely, Lightning heard faint cries echoing within the container; her heart felt like collapsing.

"The civilians!" she gasped quietly before darting off after it. Cloud instantly followed, his eyes flitting around to see if Deepground soldiers had already detected their presence.

"Lightning, wait!"

They maneuvered through the arsenals and obstacles in their path, and the while, Lightning simply focused on the helpless civilians waiting for her to save them. She refused to fail them at any cost…but there was no other choice but to watch as the container suddenly fell into a large pool of green substance. While the screams continued crying out, Lightning frantically looked at her surroundings, hoping to find some way of getting down to save them. Before she tried to scale down the wall, Cloud grabbed her arm to keep her from advancing.

"Let me go!" she growled with a glare.

Cloud refused to ease up. "They were dropped in there for a reason. There might be something—"

He was instantly cut off by a deep tremor within the complex, and the both of them struggled to keep their balance and keep themselves from following the container into the liquid. When they looked back into the neon green pool, the container continued to float along the surface…until a colossal hand shot up from its depths and pulled the container down. Cries were no longer heard through the complex, now replaced by dead silence. Lightning gasped before turning back to bury her face into Cloud's chest, while he stood there ghostly pale with a hanging jaw.

"Sacrifices…" The mass amount of people abducted finally made sense to him. From all over the Planet, with such random disappearances, the people weren't merely taken hostage, but to be subsidized for a much darker purpose.

Lightning struggled to keep herself from breaking down as she looked back to the green pool in horror. "What the hell was that thing?!"

"Usher of souls…"

The eerie low voice came from behind Cloud, prompting the two of them to turn around and find a dark portal appearing before them. A mysterious figure emerged in a Deepground mako suit, though his sleeves were secured over his shoulders. As long ebony hair trailed down his back, a pair of mechanical wings extended from his backside, slightly twitching while he slowly approached Lightning and Cloud.

One of the wings abruptly extended toward Lightning; Cloud stepped in between them and glared into the blood red eyes, for the rest of his face was obscured by strips of metal. "Will you not come quietly?" he asked with feign manners.

Gritting his teeth, Cloud easily figured out the reason for his presence. "He's a Tsviet…" Though they were successful in avoiding the grunts, they couldn't run from the elites' watchful eyes for long. He saw the man's eyes fixated on Lightning, who was caught between Cloud's protection and the long drop into the green pool. Fighting the man would certainly be futile, given they had little to no chance against his dark powers.

"Lightning, run!"

Once she took off down the slim path on her left, Cloud darted after her. They raced toward nowhere, but all that mattered was getting as far away from the man as possible. Lightning dared to take a glance over her shoulder, and pitch black darkness seemed to be hot on their trails. It reminded her of the chaos that consumed her back on Pulse, and in the farthest part of her mind, she wondered exactly where this entity came from.

All of a sudden, the ground trembled beneath their feet; concrete began to shift, and Cloud released a brief cry from behind her. As her heart felt like dropping, Lightning stopped and spun on her heel. A large hole appeared where Cloud briefly stood, filled with a bottomless supply of liquefied mako energy that flowed in a similar fashion to water.

Before she could scream out in fright, she noticed Cloud's desperate hands clutching onto the ledge of the hole, struggling against the tremors of the ground. Lightning tried to make her way to help him, but dark waves soon reached her and wrapped themselves around her slim neck. Her hands flew up in an attempt to wrench them off, but they seemed to pass through the negative energy, rendering any hope of surviving useless.

As she chokingly gasped for air, a firm hand gripped onto her ankle tightly, and Lightning felt herself be dragged down past ground level. The darkness thrashed wildly before her eyes until the bright green glow shined all around her. She turned herself around and saw Cloud's wide eyes before they drowned in the glowing mako around them…and her mind went blank.

* * *

**4/28/13 - I edited a tiny bit due to some physics technicality a reviewer pointed out. At first, I said screw it, since this _was_ a fantasy fanfic where the rules of physics don't apply much. I mean, seriously - have you seen the fights in Advent Children? However, I actually described it in such a descriptive way, having it turn out completely wrong kinda irked me. So I changed the wording around.**


	26. Ready?

**Ready?**

She woke to the sound of water dripping down in the distance, but her eyes groggily opened up to a vast field of darkness. Lightning rubbed the temple of her forehead as she got up on one knee with a groan. Beside her, Cloud remained unconscious on the ground, though he slowly began to show signs of stirring. He seemed to be visible despite their surroundings, and she shook his arm with urgency.

"Cloud. Cloud!"

His eyes gradually fluttered open; with a groan, he pushed himself up from the ground and tiredly held his head. "What happened?" he asked Lightning with a rough voice.

"I'm not sure," she replied, looking back at the darkness. "That Tsviet attacked us…I think we fell into a mako spring."

When his mind was more coherent, Cloud looked at her with confusion. "Mako spring?" Bits and pieces of his memories came back as he watched Lightning get up on her feet and walk forward, trying to figure out where to go from here. The sound of water continued to echo in the distance, the sound jogging his memory more with every passing moment. Cloud reached into the depths of his mind to recall this familiar situation…and it made sense to him.

"Are we in danger of poisoning?" Lightning worriedly asked over her shoulder.

"It's not a mako spring," he said with certainty. It was Lightning's turn to look at him with confusion, and when she turned around, Cloud had already gotten up on his feet and went to her side.

"We're in the Lifestream."

Just as shock was able to reach Lightning's face, a bright green light flashed before them, blinding them for a long moment until dissipating, and they were finally able to take note of the mako-colored platform they stood upon. From all around, the visible Lifestream flowed across the endless space, surrounding them like a barrier.

Lightning noticed droplets of water falling from a random point in space, only to land in a small puddle on the platform. Walking over to it, she reached out a hand to capture one of the droplets, but once it touched her palm, it instantly dissolved into swirling particles before vanishing completely.

"How is this possible?" she asked in a low voice of disbelief. Her wide eyes continued to move everywhere along with Cloud's.

At a loss for words, he couldn't find an answer to give. He only knew their situation _was _possible, for he and Tifa went through the same experience three years ago in Mideel. The Lifestream had ancient powers that were unknown even to research, and it held knowledge that humanity could not fathom. What Cloud was sure about, without a doubt, was that the people who departed from the world returned to the Planet and joined its blood.

Another flash blinded them, and once their vision returned, Cloud and Lightning saw shimmering images that moved like a movie. They reflected back to them like screens, and though the scenes weren't perfect, they were easy to make out.

As her eyes widened instantly, Lightning saw her beloved sister and her fiancé smiling as they approached her. She remembered this moment as the time when they finally woke from crystal stasis and reunited on Gran Pulse. Hot tears stung her eyes, and her chest felt like bursting from the sight.

This was what she wanted – to see them again and live alongside them just like in Bodhum. It was what she was looking forward to through her dangerous trial as a l'Cie. Even with her resolve to be with Cloud, and despite her choice of staying to help the people of the Planet, Lightning knew that the only way to make it perfect was for both worlds to somehow come together…

And no one was sure if that was in any way possible.

From behind, Cloud watched as she stood like a statue staring up at the faces of her loved ones. He wondered what was running through her head - surprise? Happiness? Sorrow? Looking back, he was speechless at how selfish he had really been. Just because Lightning hadn't mentioned her old life for so long didn't mean she could completely put it all behind her…and he was left in his own little world, thinking they were finally happy together.

More shimmering images surrounded them on the platform, and Cloud saw the usual citizens of Edge roaming the streets on a regular day. Some of them were wrapped in bandages or kept hidden in the dark alleys; even from afar, he could make out the Geostigma symptoms on their persons. Through the hazy vision, he felt that he grew familiar with the fellow citizens, for he saw their faces once again in another shimmering image next to the original one. It depicted the dreadful night when Deepground infiltrated Edge, and he was forced to relive the chaos once again.

As he watched, what irked Cloud the most was how those that had Geostigma seemed to be the ones struck down by the Deepground soldiers that night. While the citizens that were once plagued were mercilessly killed, those that never contracted the disease were rounded up like cattle, only to be taken away by the soldiers.

"What?" he uttered. When Lightning finally snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the images before Cloud, a third mirror-like movie appeared, this time revealing Tifa and Denzel being ambushed by the soldiers.

"This was when I caught up with everyone at the bar," Lightning explained as she joined Cloud's side. "They tried to kill Denzel with the first chance they got…" She shook her head with confusion. "But not Marlene and Tifa."

It finally made sense in his head, and Cloud found himself immobile at the thought. He felt his blood run cold, almost speechless at the correlation. "They're taking people who never caught Geostigma."

Lightning blinked in surprise. "What? You sure?"

"Positive," he replied with a nod and pointed at the people screaming across the images. "All of them never had the stigma in their systems, unlike Denzel."

Lightning shook her head with disbelief, trying to connect the pieces. "So they take people who were never infected…but still kill them through a sacrifice?"

"Deepground's planning something big," Cloud assured. "Especially when they need specific tributes." The mass amounts of missing persons started to make sense. Deepground needed them for some ultimate hidden agenda…

But that was one piece of information they still needed.

"What's their angle?" Lightning speculated in a soft voice, but they couldn't find the time to figure out an answer when another white light flashed in their eyes, blinding them for a few long moments. They brought their hands up as shields, but as Cloud dared to take a peek, he noticed two figures approaching from the depths of the light. One was a little shorter than himself and Lightning, but the other one beside it was significantly taller than all of them. As they drew closer, the first thing he could make out was the familiar pink dress; he felt the air sweep out of his lungs, dropping his arms to his sides slowly.

Lightning could sense that he made out some recognition of the two figures before daring to take a glance as well. Once the pink dress and red jacket came into view, she quickly ran through her memories to find the single incident where she had seen them before. "Y…You're…"

The two figures were finally close enough when the light began to recede; as they watched Cloud and Lightning watch them with pale faces, they merely smiled. The shorter figure turned out to be the young woman Lightning saw in the fields near Healen, though her features were much more angelic and graceful close up. The tall man beside her resembled Cloud in a way, save for the jet black hair that was slightly longer. He wore a special kind of uniform Lightning had never seen before, but she vaguely recognized the SOLDIER emblem on his belt.

"Hello, Lightning," the woman greeted in a gentle voice. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Though she wanted to be wary and hesitant, Lightning couldn't be anything but soft to her. "You know my name?"

In return, the woman calmly nodded. "Yes. My name is Aerith, and this is Zack." When she gestured to the man beside her, he gave a small welcoming wave of his hand. Lightning felt nothing but a calm aura from him, and it was hard to be wary, even in the slightest bit.

"Aerith…Zack…" Cloud's jaw remained hanging as he looked at them in shock. Once Zack's attention went to his former comrade, he walked up and placed a carefree hand on Cloud's shoulder.

"How's it been?" he asked so casually that it didn't seem like he ever died in the first place. Cloud never imagined he would be able to see them again, now that he had found the strength to keep going in life.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked, his mind still racing about the situation.

Raising his eyebrow, Zack lifted his hands up to gesture all around them. "Uh, Lifestream? Dead? _Hello_?" He and Aerith tried to hold back chuckles as Lightning and Cloud remained dumbstruck about everything.

All the while, Lightning couldn't rip her eyes away from Aerith. Though no one said anything, she could tell this was the woman Vincent talked about back in the church. She was a dear friend to Cloud, Tifa, and everyone else back on the surface. In just a few minutes, Lightning could understand exactly why she was so cherished by everyone – along with her kindness, she never seemed sad about her predicament as being part of the Lifestream.

She suddenly realized this was the woman Cloud mentioned on the gondola ride in the Gold Saucer. Despite the twinge of jealousy at the time, Lightning now regretted ever allowing that feeling to grow inside.

"Thank you, Lightning."

The words came to her as a surprise, prompting her to refocus her gaze on Aerith. "For what?" she asked curiously.

"Helping Cloud," she simply answered. "He's been through a lot these past three years, and we're grateful for you by simply being there for him."

Cloud struggled to keep his lips from pulling downward – not out of disapproval, but the simple inability to stay calm in the presence of her caring heart. "Aerith…"

All he got in return was a warm smile. Meanwhile, Zack smirked and crossed his arms before his chest. "Just remember: we never blamed you. Not once. Well…maybe for not saying hi to Aerith for me." Next to him, Aerith lightly shoved him as if in chiding.

Cloud breathlessly chuckled at how calm they were about everything…and Lightning was a bit amazed how at ease he was with his two friends that were no longer with him. She knew how serious the guilt over their deaths affected him, and it came as a relief to be assured Aerith and Zack never held a grudge.

"It will be a shame once you go back to Pulse," Aerith lamented. At first, her words shocked the both of them, but once their meaning sank in, Lightning and Cloud felt the distance between them grow tenfold. Without a doubt, Lightning knew it would break her heart to leave Cloud and the others behind if she ever managed to return home. Whether or not she decided to stay on the Planet, it was certain grief would claim a piece of her heart forever.

In an instant, Cloud wished he could take back the strife he had given Lightning since WRO headquarters. It was never in his place to tell her what to do or where to go, and it hardly occurred to him that he had been doing such since the first day he met her. It was like telling a bird not to fly and reach for freedom, which would have surely led to its death.

"I'm sure you love Cloud…" With a gentle smile of sympathy, Aerith clasped her hands together and brought them close to her chest. "But even though you can't be with him physically, can you still keep him in your heart?"

The question was so simple that it caught her off guard, and she glanced over to Cloud to see his reaction. As impossible as it may seem, Lightning couldn't think of finding any other man better than him, not that she wanted to try in the first place. He fixated his gaze in the other direction, waiting for the damage that came with an unfavorable reply.

"It's not a question of can or can't," she declared in a firm voice. "There are some things in life…you just do." Surprised, Cloud turned around to see her aqua eyes glistening toward him. All this time, he failed to see that not all her thoughts were black and white; even though she couldn't deny the wish to go home, she never wanted to leave him behind. It was like losing her other half, and he was sure Lightning wasn't looking forward to being incomplete for the rest of her life.

"Nice," Zack praised sincerely before jabbing a thumb to his chest. "It's what's in here that counts, and as long as you don't forget about each other, you'll always be connected."

Lightning couldn't help but smile as she nodded. The warm nurturing presence she felt from the two was nothing to be afraid of, and she felt relieved knowing that the Planet and Lifestream were in good hands.

Echoing wails suddenly surrounded them, bringing fear into Lightning and Cloud's hearts. Among the bright green waves surrounding them, they could make out blurred faces filled with terror.

"It's getting a little crowded down here," Zack said nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

Cloud thought for a moment until he figured out where those spirits were coming from. "The sacrifices…"

"The Lifestream's growing bigger," Aerith explained with a hint of worry. "It won't be long before Omega awakens." She then focused her attention to Lightning and Cloud, who looked around with confusion. "You two should get going. They need you up there."

"Wait, hold on. What's Omega?" Lightning wanted to get her answers as soon as possible, hopefully in time to devise a plan, but all Aerith gave her was a shake of the head.

"Look for Lucrecia Crescent's files. They'll explain everything." After taking a few steps toward them, Aerith's lips pulled up into a gentle smile that seemed to radiate warmth and light in the midst of their predicament. The glow of the Lifestream began to consume them in one gulp; Lightning and Cloud felt their feet leave the platform, and they were left suspending in a blinding light. In a desperate attempt, Cloud stretched his arm out toward her, and Lightning gratefully grabbed a hold of his hand before nothing else could be seen.

"Ready?"

* * *

The light seemed to finally die down, but it started to concentrate on a fixed point in the corner of his eye. He could feel the sun's rays striking his cheek along with the incoming waves of the ocean. It was subtle, but Cloud definitely noticed his lack of breathing, and once he tried to inhale, the salt water settling in his pipes began to choke him. As he coughed and turned himself over to spit it all out, his hands dug deeply into the wet sand he laid upon, and he worked to take in deep breaths of fresh air.

Cloud felt something gently rubbing his back throughout the fit; once his hand reached out, he felt gentle fingers wrap around it, assuring that the figure beside him meant no harm. Peeking out of one eye, he saw Lightning, drenched and soaked like him, watching him carefully.

"Take it easy," she eased softly.

"Where are we?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Western Continent, I'm assuming." He felt one of her hands leave his body while her head looked straight ahead. "That's the Ancient Forest, right?"

Once oxygen was flowing normally through his system, Cloud's mind began to work. "So we should be by headquarters."

Lightning slung one of his arms over her shoulders, and without much trouble, she hoisted him up to his feet before he quickly regained his balance. When she worked to dust the sand off of him, Cloud tried to grab hold of her arms and keep her still for what he was about to say.

"Lightning…I'm sorry for the anger. It wasn't right for me to be hurt because of what you really want."

"Cloud, it's all right," she assured with a small shake of her head. "I understand—"

"No, it isn't," he urged. "No matter what, I'll stand by whatever you choose. I can't be selfish." His hand went up to cup her cheek, and she tilted her head into his palm, relishing in the touch. Lightning felt that it had been forever since she basked in his gentleness; the stress of Deepground and Chaos had been drowning her mind for far too long. With every second, she continued to regret ever having the wish to go home…but now she was stuck at a crossroads.

Should Lightning really continue looking for a way back to Pulse…or ultimately give up the search and stay with Cloud and the others?

Before she could get lost in her thoughts, the two of them felt the ground tremble beneath their feet, and a howling whistle ended in a large explosion just southeast of where they stood. Whipping their heads to that direction, they found smoke billowing up to the sky; aircrafts encircled it like vultures, dropping miniscule pods and parachutes above the hotspot.

Lightning's eyes widened as she realized their target. "Headquarters!"

"Deepground's making a second strike," Cloud growled as he reached back and pulled out the main blade from the holster. With his other hand, he grabbed hold of Lightning's and darted toward the pillar of smoke. "Let's go!"

Together, they dashed to WRO Headquarters, and though their personal matters were finally behind them, it was hard to say how much will they had left to carry on in this devastating war.


	27. We're Done Here

**We're Done Here**

A loud whine escaped her lips just as she stepped out of the overturned truck. When she first signed up for the job, Yuffie had an idea of what she was getting herself into, but she couldn't imagine Vincent being a literal beacon for danger. Though her heroics back in Nibelheim were admirable, who was to say she would be so lucky a second time?

As she went around to reach the driver, Yuffie heard racing footsteps approaching from behind. She spun on her heel to find Cloud and Lightning running up hand in hand. "You guys!" she cried out while waving her arms above her head.

"Yuffie!" Worry drenched Cloud's visage, his eyes going from her to the truck. "It's Deepground, right?"

"Yeah," Yuffie said with a nod. "I was on my way to headquarters with Vincent. He should almost be there by now."

With a frustrated sigh, Lightning looked ahead on the path leading back to WRO. The smoke and sounds of battle weren't going to die down anytime soon, and if they didn't act fast enough, everyone she knew would be goners. "A second wave…What for?"

"Those two Tsviets we detained," Cloud speculated. "No doubt about it. We need to get there now." The longer they waited, the worst things would surely get. He turned to Yuffie as she gently rubbed the temple of her head. "Can you keep up?"

She gave it the smallest of thoughts and nodded affirmatively. "Go on ahead. I'll check on the driver here before catching up to you guys."

Cloud and Lightning shared a wary look before continuing their haste toward headquarters. Even if they were certain to run into Deepground soldiers along the way, their top priority was to help Vincent and the WRO retain their lives for the next day.

They carefully stepped over the stream leading down to the truck, putting it and Yuffie behind them, until Yuffie spun on her heel once again. "Lightning."

Lightning skidded in place and whipped around to see the young girl's worried appearance. "Be careful," she heard, and she finally saw how concerned Yuffie was for the well-being of her friend. All this time, it never slipped her mind that Lightning's life was also threatened. She may have started out as a brash material hunter, but the years had changed Yuffie, so much so that if anything happened to her friends, despair would cripple her. Lightning felt eternally grateful for the camaraderie that was packaged into such a youth, and she could sense great things in the proud ninja's future.

Once she nodded in earnest, she continued on after Cloud, trekking through the paths and brushes that harbored volatile wildlife. All the while, Cloud constantly glanced over his shoulder, checking to make sure Lightning was never too far out of his reach. The slightest mistake could end up losing her forever, and he wasn't going to let that happen without his say-so.

They crossed into headquarter territory, and all they could see was a littered battlefield. Friend and foe alike raced across the terrain, either to battle each other or to avoid the mysterious aircrafts hovering in the skies. Lightning's eyes widened in horror; she was unable to accept that WRO headquarters would be under attack again so soon after such terrible casualties. Seeing red, her gaze shifted upward before noticing the new kind of Deepground soldiers advancing to the base. They were as large as Azul, carrying rocket launchers similar to what he wielded.

"I'm gonna need one of those," she told Cloud while nodding toward a heavily armored soldier. Despite the sheer size of the weapon, he easily deduced her reasons for needing such a weapon and complied. They charged into the battlefield together, Cloud taking a few more steps before Lightning to take a side sweep into one of the large Deepground soldiers. His sword easily sliced through the man's armor, and with the circuits and weight ruined, the soldier inside slowly but surely toppled over and landed on the ground.

Once the armor and rocket launcher made deep indents on the surface, Cloud and Lightning worked to get the massive weapon in position. Lightning carefully steadied herself under the massive weight while Cloud carried it with just enough strength to make sure it didn't crush her. Acting fast, she aimed the muzzle toward one of the aircrafts she was sure didn't belong to WRO, flipping various switches once she had it in position.

"Get ready!" she shouted for Cloud to hear. He steadied himself behind the weapon, preparing his body for the immense force as Lightning released a rocket into the sky, trailed by a spiral of smoke. The whistle rang throughout their ears, immediately followed by a bright flash and harsh boom above the ocean. When they heaved the rocket launcher back to the ground, Cloud and Lightning watched one of the Deepground aircrafts give off embers and smoke as it descended toward the waters.

There was no time to celebrate or relax for the smallest second. The two of them immediately dashed for the large courtyard that served as an entrance to the base, making their way through the Deepground forces and assisting the WRO with ease. As they entered the vast space that seemed deserted, it was too quiet to allow them to feel safe. Lightning proceeded first, keeping her weapon in gun mode while her eyes carefully surveyed the area.

Nothing seemed to be amiss – not a flicker of movement or shift within the shadows casted by the high walls surrounding them. Still, this peaceful moment couldn't ease the prickling hairs on Cloud's neck. His hand stayed over his shoulder and ready to take hold of his sword, anticipating the moment to strike.

Just when they reached the dead center of the courtyard, strange mechanical whirring and synchronized steps echoed off the walls. A strange dark figure caught Lightning's eye on her right, but when she turned to observe it, it was only a mere shadow casted from the opposite direction. Together with Cloud, she turned a full 180 degrees to find a strange spherical robot climbing down the wall like a spider, its claws digging deep into the concrete with every step. A laser drew out from an antenna atop his tiny head, and it scoped the field like a searchlight until it swept past the two of them and enlarged into a circle.

"Move!" Cloud shouted just before giving a push into Lightning's shoulder. She jerked to the right, toward the open entrance into the headquarters' artillery as he retreated back to the left, where they came from. Two missiles whistled through the air, starting from where the robot was on the wall only to explode in the exact spot where Cloud and Lightning just stood. Dust and debris flew everywhere once the missiles collided with the ground, but luckily, they were far enough to sustain no injury.

Another sound caught Lightning's ears, and she spun around to watch the steel door slowly come down on the entrance of the headquarters. There was still a long stretch of path and a flight of stairs between them – a distance that Cloud surely couldn't trek in time to make it…but perhaps she could.

Wasting no time, she sprinted toward the stairs and began pacing two or three steps at a time. Among the noise and dust, Cloud took notice of her actions and immediately went after her, gritting his teeth as he occasionally threw glances toward the robot hot on their trail. It finally scaled down the wall to give them chase, its long legs moving at incredible speed.

Once Lightning reached the top of the stairs, she darted to the quickly closing door, for it was already halfway down, and no one knew how long it would take for them to open again. She quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure Cloud was still behind her...but she didn't count on the robot being so close so soon. In a matter of seconds, it would have caught up to Cloud and definitely keep him from reaching the door in time.

Nevertheless, he took the chance to spin back around and stop in his tracks, pulling the main blade out of the holster on his back. The robot made the decision to ram straight into him, just as he expected when he held the sword up to block the charge. Even when they collided, the robot kept going, and Cloud found himself being pushed back, the pressure on his feet doing little to keep him glued in place. He did what he could as he continued sliding back toward the door, and once the robot seemed to let up, Cloud raised the sword high in the air and gave three consecutive power strikes, the robot levitating slightly higher with each strike. With the final collision, he swung the blade with as much strength as he could muster, sending the robot to fly back down the steps, its circuits and wires ruined.

As she approached the door, Lightning instantly dropped to the ground to slide her legs forward, zipping through the closing space in time and finding herself within the complex. However, once she was safely inside, her head snapped back to watch Cloud's image disappear with the rest of the courtyard, and the door finally sealed shut with an audible click.

"Cloud!" Lightning got up to her feet and rushed up to slam her body toward the sheer wall that separated the two of them. As she banged her fist against the steel, the sound of echoing bellows was off-rhythm, and it was easy to assume Cloud was doing the same on the other side.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she swiftly pulled it out and brought it close to her ear. "Lightning," she heard in Cloud's agitated voice.

"I think it's just precaution," she speculated, observing the large hallway that led to the center of the main base. "I'll try to get to the control room and open the door."

"No," Cloud said firmly. "That'll take up too much time. We need to concentrate on Deepground right now." As much as he hated his words, he knew it had to be done. Racing to get the door open could leave Lightning defenseless and open for attack. She would need to focus on her own well-being instead of trying to get back to him amidst the commotion.

Lightning took heed to the distress in his voice. "All right. I'll find Vincent and help him."

"Be careful," he warned on the other line just before she snapped her phone shut. After tucking it in her overcoat's pocket, she took off toward the main lobby, where like before, it was drowning in waves of battle and bloodshed. Deepground and WRO soldiers alike fell down to ground level from higher ledges, bullets zoomed across the limited space, and there was little hope that the casualties would be small. Lightning took notice of a WRO team being overwhelmed by Deepground forces before pulling out the Blazefire Saber to help even the odds. Once things turned to their favor, she ascended the utility stairs, hoping to reach the central control room where Vincent and Reeve hopefully waited.

As she sped down the winding hallways, battling through aggressive Deepground waves, heavy footfalls echoed off the walls and the ground trembled in rhythm. The grating sound of metal defiance rang in her ears, and she continued making her way while her finger was ready to pull the trigger on her gunblade. The sharp corner ahead of her proved to be slower than her expectations, for she couldn't do anything to prevent the sight just mere yards away, In front of large steel doors, the man known as Azul towered over a crippled form Lightning wished she hadn't recognized.

Beaten and broken, Shalua cowered as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Her grafted arm was shattered as viscous bronze liquid seeped out of sores and cuts all over her body. Every time Azul's fist slammed into her, bruises black as night would form, sometimes even splitting open to spill more fluids that were sure to be vital to her life.

Lightning felt her skin boil to the highest degree, her jaw grinding her teeth into dust. Raising the Blazefire Saber, she flicked it into sword mode and charged ahead just as Azul's enormous hand drew closer to Shaula. "Leave her alone!"

When she leapt high for a downward strike, Azul easily moved his arm to block her attack. The blade barely gave so much as a scratch on his skin, and when she glared ferociously into his eyes, he merely smirked before pushing her back with a stronger force. Lightning flew to her starting point after a somersault and landed with her feet wide apart.

"Ahh…the target," she heard his deep voice say. "I was wondering when you would come frolicking back."

The more she heard that atrocious label for her, the more she feared their intentions. Even when they were here for both her and Vincent, Lightning felt it was only her that was in the deepest waters. If Vincent was able to avoid capture for this long, he must have been able to get away from the battle for now. Glancing over to Shalua, she felt her heart sink as she realized there was little hope for the unfortunate victim.

Moments continued passing by, and she was fed up with letting Deepground take the reins. A fierce snarl escaped her lips as she charged forward once again, unleashing a barrage of bullets in Azul's direction. Any damage was barely done upon him, but nonetheless, Lightning ducked into a forward roll when his arm swept across the space in front of him, intending to strike her to the side. She nimbly stopped on her feet in a low crouch, quickly swinging her arm back to put a bullet in his flesh…

But a thick boot pounded against her backside, and she flew across the hall to slam into the wall with no preparation. Her chest felt crushed between the wall and her weight, though it was nothing compared to the pain drilling through her skull. Even when she slumped to the ground, her backbone wanted to crumble into nothing. A harsh cough wracked her lungs, and blood splattered her jaw and the wall just mere inches away from her face.

A fierce tug on her hair didn't help at all, but a large hand eventually clamped down on her hair and lifted her up, her toes just barely grazing the floor. She was spun around to face the gleaming gold eyes and dark smirk that only sadists wore. "I admire your courage," Azul mused with intrigue. "But…we really must get going."

He then slammed her back into the wall, and it felt just as strong as the first impact. Lightning's vision quickly blurred while the world began to spin out of control. Her skin ran cold as her eyelids drifted closed, Azul's smirk being the last thing she saw before losing consciousness.

Like a rag doll, Azul simply tossed the soldier over his shoulder and turned to see Deepground subordinates joining him. "We're done here," he said in a calm tone. It was as if the bout with Lightning was just a simple extermination of a fly. "Weiss will want her immediately."

* * *

He knew of Deepground's capabilities from when they fought in Edge, so it surprised Cloud when the soldiers didn't seem to want to rip his heart out. Instead, they just merely kept him busy – not try to push past him to get into the complex, but make sure he didn't retreat into headquarters where everyone else was.

When he gave a final slash to knock a Deepground grunt into the ocean, the aircrafts hovering above the headquarters began drifting away, retreating from whence they came. After wiping blood that dripped from his brow, Cloud turned and observed the bodies and devastation left over from the fighting. It seemed like it was finally the calm after the storm, but a wary feeling inside refused to go away. Though the retreat appeared to be due to defeat, he knew something was amiss as he sheathed his sword in its holster.

Just as many of the WRO members eased into the cleaning process, Cloud hurried to the closest entrance, which was sealed shut until he pried it open with his hands. It led through a narrow passage with stairs leading up to the main lobby, and once he scaled them, he found himself at the northeast corner. The WRO were hauling bodies, either friend or foe, out of the main entrance paying him little or no attention amidst the tragedy that had befallen them.

Cloud walked up to the closest lieutenant he recognized with the proper badge, and the lieutenant obligingly saluted.

"Mr. Strife, sir."

"Have you seen Captain Farron?" Cloud asked anxiously.

The lieutenant thought for a moment. "I was sure I saw her during the fight…" He looked over his shoulder to another passage with stairs. "She was heading in the direction of the commissioner's office."

After a swift nod, Cloud hurried up the second flight of stairs, rushing past the medics and able soldiers that came bustling through to tend to the wounded.

"Bring Dr. Rui to an emergency room, stat!"

When he reached the top, a sharp turn led him to a hall swarmed by WRO personnel. While some carefully lifted a battered redhead onto a stretcher, others made a group effort to wrench a pair of blast doors open, which led deeper into the complex and toward Reeve's main offices. Though the battle was over, everything was still in a chaotic state, leaving little opportunity to rest.

As Cloud let out a heavy sigh, a glimmer at the end of the hall caught his eye. It was faint, but in the midst of everyone's haste, no one else would have noticed. He warily strode over to the object, and as its image became clearer with each step, his insides twisted upon each other. Sinister chuckles rang through his head, tormenting him of the failure he dreaded of occurring.

Even as he wished it wasn't true, Cloud knelt down and picked up the silver pendant fashioned into the style of a lightning bolt. Its usual variant of colors still colored it but was now accompanied by fresh smears of blood that dug vicious claws into his heart. As he got back up to his feet, Cloud grimaced while his fingers tightly wrapped around the pendant.

"Lightning."


	28. It Makes You Human

**It Makes You Human**

The hectic soldiers and medics meant nothing to him. Step by step, everything was a hazy blur, and the destination he had set in his mind was frustratingly unclear. Every time he decided to muster up a plan, he couldn't figure out where his starting point was. The ultimate goal was to bring her back to him, alive and well, but very little was still known about the enemy, or where to go from this point.

His shoulders heavily sagged, struggling to help him keep going, but every step made it feel like he was trekking through a swamp that pulled him deeper into despair. Just when they had reconciled, when they had made their resolve to see this through to the end…she was taken out of his reach, and he did nothing to keep it from happening.

Deepground just completed a milestone by simply obtaining Lightning, and who knew what they would do with her. Just the thought of it made Cloud's jaw clench, biting into his cheek to draw blood. Yet another failure was added to his conscience, one he would surely never seek forgiveness for.

Just when he stood outside one of the labs, he heard a resounding slap ring out into the hallway, and it pulled him out of his reverie. "You have no right to call her that!" he heard in Yuffie's exasperated voice. "You don't know what…!" There was a hesitant pause, moments before Yuffie huffed and suddenly stormed out of the lab. She briefly stopped at the sight of Cloud, coincidentally revealing her watery eyes, before she kept her head down and continued down the hall. After he gave a quick considerate thought for the young ninja, Cloud returned his attention to the lab, standing just outside without making his presence known to the others within.

"Why would she do something so…?" The voice was young, one that was used to being lifeless yet held some curiosity with the question. Cloud hesitated about going to see who it was until Vincent's deep voice replied.

"Before, when I asked Shalua what she was searching for, she answered 'her reason to live'. It was you, Shelke. You were her reason to live."

"I don't understand how someone could give her own life for that of another." The one named Shelke audibly sighed. Cloud thought back to the woman on the stretcher just before he found Lightning's pendant. Almost every WRO VIP was secured without fail, but that woman seemed to linger back in the battlefield for a reason…probably for the one that Vincent was talking to.

"When a person has someone they care about that much, giving their life is sometimes the least they can do…and maybe that's what makes us human."

His words pulled at strings deep inside Cloud, making him think back to Lightning's words back on the airship before descending upon Midgar. Even through his rage and her desire to return to Pulse – to her sister Serah and everyone she knew – Lightning was willing to give up her old life and past treasures to find happiness with him. It was a truly honorable sacrifice, one that Cloud could barely make when he hadn't much left to lose.

With a hard face, Cloud made a fierce resolve to retrieve Lightning from whatever imprisoned her, no matter what it took to get her back. The last thing he could possibly offer her was a life that she wanted, and they had to stop Deepground's plans at all costs.

After taking a steady breath, he turned and walked into the room, making his presence known to Vincent and a young girl dressed in a Deepground mako suit. Cloud vaguely recognized her from the first assault on the headquarters…the one who attacked Lightning just before their run-in with Azul. Before he could give her a cold sneer and lunge for her throat, he saw in her eyes that she too recognized him, and she instantly frowned with regret.

"Who's this?" he asked rather icily, even when a part of him didn't intend to.

Vincent regarded him with a nod. "Shelke…and she's here to help."

Looking out of the corner of his eye, Cloud spotted the woman from before lying unconscious in a regeneration tube. Though her vitals seemed to be steady, the physical injuries and scars appeared too serious to recover from, and it was unlikely she would ever wake up.

"She's one of _them_," Cloud reminded in a quiet voice.

Shelke's eyes anxiously widened, though her voice was still void of pure emotion. "I no longer associate with Deepground. In this last assault, they deemed me no longer required and announced an order for my termination."

For a moment, Cloud sympathized with her for the mutiny. She was certainly too young to be caught up in bloody battles and wars, let alone become abandoned and left to die.

"I am more than willing to offer my assistance to the WRO…though it may be limited to acquiring data from the Worldwide Network. Nonetheless, I'm able to tap into countless archives and databases across the Planet."

He considered it for a moment, briefly glancing toward her with hopeful eyes. "Can you…find out where Lightning is?"

As Shelke regarded him with more regret, Vincent showed as much surprise as he could from his bright red eyes. "She was…"

Cloud slowly nodded, painfully reminded of the failure once more. The necklace burned immensely in his pocket, furious that it was detached from its owner. Just when he thought Shelke would alleviate the heavy burden in his chest, it only crushed him more when she let out a disappointing sigh.

"Data on Lightning Farron is strictly prohibited, held in heavily guarded files of Deepground that not even I had access to. I was merely told that she was of the utmost importance to our leader, Weiss, and nothing else." Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, as if she was also wary of Deepground's motives for Lightning. "There were brief mentions of an otherworldly origin from Lucrecia Crescent's Chaos Theory…but whether this relates to Lightning Farron or not, I cannot say."

Vincent mulled over that bit of news. "So she _could_ be connected to Chaos, for a bigger meaning."

"Tracking her exact location would be near impossible...though of this I am certain: she was taken into Deepground and is currently being kept there for an undetermined amount of time."

She was deep into enemy territory, just where they wanted her. Cloud tightened his jaw and exhaled sharply, for everything was falling apart. However long she spent down there, it was hard to find out for sure when she would be let out…

_If_ she would be let out.

"We'll get her, Cloud," Vincent said with little reassurance just as Reeve appeared from the hallway.

"Vincent," he greeted after giving a quick nod to Cloud. "Those data files you recovered from Shinra Manor – are you sure there were not more?"

In return, Vincent slowly nodded. "I'm sure. Why?"

"The Omega Report is incomplete," he admitted regretfully. "To make any sense of it, we're going to need the other half. Maybe if we send Lightning back to Nibelheim with you…" The looks on Vincent and Cloud's faces made him wary "What is it?"

Cloud hesitated in giving him the news, but they had to make plans to coordinate with whatever manpower they had left. "She's been abstracted," he told Reeve through gritted teeth. After a moment to comprehend the loss, Reeve sighed and nodded his head.

"Right. That means we don't have much time."

"That report…" Shelke hesitantly approached the commissioner as he responded to her sudden voice. "Are you speaking of Dr. Crescent's findings?"

The three men looked at her in shock. "Yes," Reeve confirmed. "But, how did you…?"

Realization finally dawned on Vincent, the pieces coming together in his head. "She has access to the findings Lucrecia stored in the Shinra database."

Shelke nodded to confirm Vincent's words. "It was my prime directive to use this data to locate and retrieve the Protomateria. This data was also incomplete, but if I can compile it with what Vincent Valentine has found, you may obtain a clearer picture of what you will be up against."

Cloud carefully studied her words before approaching her again. "So, do you know why your comrades were taking civilians back to Midgar?"

Thinking back for a long moment, Shelke slowly shook her head. "Though I accompanied Deepground to many of the towns where they captured civilians, my main objective was to locate Vincent Valentine and the Protomateria. I was never debriefed on the directives issued to Azul and the others."

"That's right," Reeve said, suddenly remembering. "Cloud, did you and Lightning find something in Midgar?"

He carefully relayed his and Lightning's findings to the rest of them, watching the shades of horror wash over their features. Even Shelke showed some signs of disbelief and surprise, and Cloud wondered how long Deepground masked her true use as just a mere tool.

"It looks like they're jumpstarting whatever they're planning," Cloud summarized. "…And the Protomateria's the final touch." He exchanged a wary glance with Vincent, realizing he was the last thing keeping Deepground from completing its job. If he worked along with Vincent and the WRO long enough, maybe they could find an opportunity to retrieve Lightning before it was too late.

"Then we should strike now," Reeve concluded. "Even if Vincent is also in Midgar, if we work efficiently, we can stop Deepground. Perhaps we could find Lightning and other civilians that are still alive." As plans were finally formulating, Reeve and Cloud left the room to begin the process. "We'll need two fronts when we get to Midgar. Cid can lead the sky fleet in the air…"

"While the rest of us are for ground assault." Cloud nodded with satisfaction. "Right. I'll take lead of that one. Tifa and Barret?"

"They're housing the little ones in Cosmo Canyon. I'll send a chopper to retrieve them immediately."

"Start mobilizing a convoy for the ground. How many automobiles do we have?"

On ground level, they headed toward the garage in the back. Once Reeve opened two outward doors, they first looked into pure darkness until fluorescent lights flickered on, revealing rows of large trucks prepped and ready for usage. It truly was a sight, but Cloud simply nodded with satisfaction once again.

"Good. One more thing." He turned to Reeve. "Where's my bike?"

* * *

Everything was a dark blur, but she could make out the fluorescent sphere hovering above her body. She could make out the faint sounds of computers and technology, though determining how close they were was difficult. Even when her head began throbbing with pain, she found herself incapable of lifting her arms or torso, let alone her own legs.

"Where…Where am I…?" It took a lot of effort to get the words out. As her eyelids heavily fluttered, there was an indistinct figure in the distance…or was it actually beside her?

"It's worse if you try to fight it," a voice as smooth as velvet said in the darkness. "Trust me."

Nevertheless, she struggled to grasp at any string of consciousness around her. Her back felt like it was resting against cold metal, leaving her to shiver for an indefinite amount of time. The grogginess very slowly dissipated, and when she glanced to her side, she noticed the figure was actually right next to her, hovering over her to speculate.

"All those years of research will _not_ be wasted." A few objects clattered around her, and just when her vision started clearing up, her mouth and nose were covered by a strange plastic object. At first, she tried to resist and pull farther out of her stupor…but an odd sensation ran through her body with every breath, and soon enough, her limbs were numb once again. Even when her fingers ached to reach for the weapon holster, she had to be disappointed when she found it missing.

"So be a darling and help me."

There was a sharp pain in the crook of her elbow, but it slowly vanished along with the rest of her senses. _'What are they doing?'_ she thought just before everything went black once more. _'Cloud…'_

* * *

The bright afternoon sun began to descend in the north, casting high shadows over the barren wasteland that was slowly coming back to life. Of course, with Deepground in the way, it would all revert back to the old Shinra days, or possibly even worse. Though crumbling from the epic battle one year ago, the Shinra Headquarters still served as a beacon – a monument to remind everyone of the evil Shinra Company wrought on the Planet.

Sadly, that evil still lingered to this day.

At top speed, WRO automobiles raced across the wasteland, heading straight toward the crumbling city. A single truck led the large convoy, and it didn't dare slow down, for time decided to be against them.

"There it is," Barret sighed behind the steering wheel. "Makes you think about how far we've come, huh?"

In the passenger seat, Tifa solemnly nodded. "Lightning's in there," she reminded him in a dark tone. "And we have to stop them, no matter what." Picking up a radio transmitter, she switched the receiver on and held it close to her lips. "I see it."

Her words echoed in the empty trunk space in the back. Though little light streamed in from open air ducts, Cloud didn't need to see that they were quickly approaching Midgar…to know that they were that much closer to Lightning. As he turned on his motorcycle's engine, the rear of the truck opened wide to give him an exit.

Cloud hesitated for the slightest moment. Once he got out and sped toward Midgar, it would be a bloody battle until he _might _find Lightning, and getting her out alive would be another issue. Should he expect to find her still breathing and kicking? Countless scenarios ran through his mind, most of them ending not exactly in his favor…but one thing was for certain.

He would regret not trying to get her back, not even risking his own life to see her safe.

Pushing the goggles up the bridge of his nose, Cloud grabbed hold of Fenrir's handle bars and sped out into the dusty wasteland, swerving around to rush ahead of Barret and Tifa's truck. The sky was already tainted with a faint red hue, as if sensing the bloodbath that was to come. Up ahead, Cid's sky fleet assisted in cornering the Deepground forces on their own turf, and it was up to them to put the monstrous army in the ground, back where they belong.

Opening the side compartments, Cloud pulled out the main blade of his sword, swerving around the rocks and the first missiles that came their way. Pebbles and dirt flew everywhere, but he easily maneuvered through the firestorm aimed at the WRO. The spiderlike robot from before came into view, only now multiplied by at least ten, showering the ground with bullets and missiles. Rushing toward it, Cloud gave a fierce swing at the mechanical legs, and he sliced through them with ease before the monstrosity tumbled down short-circuited.

Up above, he saw WRO soldiers deployed from airships on hover boards, streaking the sky with smoke trails and flashes of bullets. Some were able to glide over the high walls and land within the ruined sectors, though it was uncertain if they were out of the hot zone yet. A red flash caught his eye, and once he looked closer, it turned into a woman cloaked in crimson wielding a dangerous long blade. She soared through the air, shooting down toward him as he was approaching.

Lifting his feet on top of the seat, he launched himself upward just before she collided into his motorcycle. Luckily, the vehicle wasn't destroyed, but it was left to skid across the wasteland and ram into Deepground forces. Cloud dashed up toward the sky, the wind blowing his spikes into his eyes when the woman followed suit and appeared before him in mid-air.

"You sure know how to pick girlfriends," she taunted with a thick accent and ruby smirk. "She put up a good fight, but for us Tsviets, it was all too easy to make her squeal." The last word was released in a high pitch for her enjoyment, anticipating the sight of the furious sneer on Cloud's face.

Reeling his arm back, Cloud swung the main blade down on the woman's head as she brought her dual-bladed weapon to counterattack. The impact released an immense shockwave around them, and for the longest moment, nothing could be heard except for a faint ringing in the base of their ears. Blinding light flashed around them, and soon enough, Cloud heard his heart race in his eardrums. His muscles felt ready to tense and become of use, his body preparing for whatever it took to get to Lightning.

To get through the night without finding her dead or out of his reach.

* * *

Soon enough, the sun collapsed over the horizon and darkness fell upon Midgar, sources of light coming from fires and bullets littering the field. War raged in every sector – WRO troops working to draw closer to the Shinra complex, while Deepground sought to eliminate them. The worst was the train graveyard in the old Sector 7 slums, where Deepground's most powerful defenses were fortified. Even when most of the WRO troops were sent to land there, they suffered casualties they knew would be impossible to remedy.

Fortunately, Vincent had been close by, fighting side-by-side with the WRO soldiers and helping to preserve as many lives as possible. It was a challenge, but he managed to regroup them with their captain at a halfway point, leaving them so he could deal with the brute of the Deepground masses on his own.

"Wait," the captain insisted. "You should go with back-up—"

"No." Vincent's deep tone was absolute as he looked at the captain square in the eye. "You heard what Cid said – your job is to live. You follow me, and you're sure to die." He thought back to the day he and Lightning searched Edge, finding none but the fallen members of Midgar Area Patrol. Collected as she was, Lightning was devastated, and it would only hurt her more to know another significant amount of lives were lost for her sake. This was just the smallest of favors he could do for her, especially after everything that had happened. "Stay here, and keep Deepground at bay while Cid and the others blow up the reactors."

The captain hesitated at first, but eventually saluted with understanding. "Sir! We'll do our best!"

The closer he got to the Shinra building, the more sure he was of reaching the central complex. Shelke had told him the only way into Deepground was by a special elevator at the top of the central complex, forcing a grimace out of Vincent. After a great number of battles he lost count of, he gained access to the complex only to find it full of soldiers ready to capture him. A trail of corpses was left behind him, and he refused to give an ounce of regret as he trekked up some flights of stairs to finally reach a service elevator. This was nothing, he thought to himself throughout the siege. His current priority was to find Lightning, an ally and a friend he couldn't bear to lose. Though it was true he hadn't known her well or for a long time, she was willing to fight by his side despite the enigma that he was. Vincent had a feeling things would go downhill when her face was vaguely familiar the first time they met, but she had become a part of his life just as much as Cloud and Reeve had been.

And he wasn't going to let her down without trying.

It was just a second after reaching the top of the stairs did he notice the elevator being operated. The light at the top was speeding down to his level, and he crouched low with Cerberus out before him. Vincent's finger was ready to pull the trigger, growing more anxious as the elevator dinged to signal its arrival…

But his breath was swept away at the sight of Lightning clutching onto the floor selector box, her breath shallow as her limbs shook to keep her steady.

"Lightning!"

She staggered unceremoniously out of the elevator, only able to keep herself up for a few seconds before collapsing forward as Vincent rushed up with open arms. Kneeling down, he studied her face and found it only faintly pale, and she fought to keep her eyes open as his image began to clear.

"Vincent…" She gently rubbed the inside of her elbow, feeling an odd sensation that refused to go away. "This is Midgar, isn't it?"

He nodded while shifting to keep her in a more comfortable position. "We're in one of the old Shinra towers. There's an elevator here that's supposed to bring me down to Deepground."

"It's at the top," Lightning told him, confirming Shelke's relay of information from before. "It'll go straight down, but that'll only be the first floor. The facility runs deeper than that, but I haven't exactly seen all of it."

"Did they do anything to you?" Vincent asked her warily, worried about what could have made her so fatigued.

Her brows knitted together as she tried to go back in time in her mind. "I don't…remember…" With a slight shake of her head, her eyes seemed to focus. "But it's not why I'm like this," she assured. "I just didn't have a chance to properly rest from what happened at headquarters."

Vincent nodded once again and carefully moved to hold her up on her feet with her arm slung over his shoulders. Approaching the stairs, they slowly went down one step at a time, for even when she put up a tough front, Lightning struggled to regain her strength.

"I'm sorry."

Lightning turned her head with surprise, peering past the cloak and finding solemn crimson eyes. "For what?"

"It probably _was_ my fault you left Pulse," Vincent admitted, sincerity coming out in thick layers. "Even I have a strong feeling it was the Chaos inside me who brought you here. Since Deepground showed up, I haven't been keeping a good hold on it." He placed a hand on his chest, close to where his heart was. "Without the Protomateria…sooner or later, Chaos will consume me."

"That's what you're afraid of…?" All this time, Lightning had a very vague idea of how Vincent regarded the chaos residing inside. With what she heard from Reeve, it certainly wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't until now did it dawn on her how much suffering this man had gone through. Ever since Cloud and the others found him in Nibelheim three years ago, Vincent had believed the monster could be useful in helping people rather than taking their lives. If Lightning hadn't been somehow captured by Chaos, Vincent's pain wouldn't be so tremendous.

"I've been running from that side of me for so long. However, it doesn't help anyone. I'm just a coward – trapped in a river of time, unable to face the fact that there's a monster inside me."

Lightning vehemently shook her head, and Vincent stopped at a step to regard her curiously. "Being afraid doesn't make you a coward," she said, searching for the emotions he hid deep in his eyes. "It makes you human. You can't run away from yourself; Chaos is a part of you, but it isn't what you are. You're here right now, helping me, aren't you?" Seeing Vincent in a better light, she gave him a soft yet earnest smile. "No monster would do that. I'm sorry…for blowing up like I did. I'm sure you heard about what happened after Edge, huh?"

There was a small sound, and she couldn't tell if it was a scoff or a chuckle. "A little." His voice was as gentle as it could be, assuring her that the strains were finally gone, and she could place her trust in him once again.

A series of booming explosions caught her attention; Lightning's head whipped to the halls that had to inevitably lead to the entrance of the complex.

"The WRO's setting explosives," Vincent explained. "They're destroying the reactors to stop Omega."

She looked back at him with knitted brows. "Omega?"

"A Weapon that'll suck up the Lifestream and destroy the Planet."

"Wait, I thought the Weapons were supposed to _protect_ the Planet." She recalled one particular lesson Cloud told her months ago about the Planet's history, where nature forged Weapons to protect the Planet from dangers such as the calamity Jenova.

"Overflowing the Lifestream with pure lives is a signal that the Planet's in danger. That's when Omega takes the Lifestream and flies off."

Lightning's jaw slightly hung as it all made sense. "The people being sacrificed…And no more Lifestream means no more Planet."

He nodded and glanced back to the stairs. "The leader of Deepground, Weiss, is back that way."

"You're going without backup?"

Vincent simply shook his head. "It's something I have to do. You should go and find Cloud – help the rest of them out."

She caught a hint of a dark tone in his voice, making her think twice of letting Vincent continue on his own…

But as much as she hated to admit it, it truly felt like something only he could stop. Going up against a Weapon most likely meant they needed whatever help they could get, and Vincent would have to retrieve the Protomateria to regain control over Chaos if they were to use its assistance.

Finally nodding, Lightning brought her hand up, and soon enough, Vincent brought his own hand up to clasp it and shook it vigorously.

"We'll see you soon," she told him without a doubt. "Keep yourself alive, you hear me?"

Vincent gave a firm nod just before pulling his gun out and ascending the stairs a final time. Taking a deep breath, Lightning made sure all her senses finally returned with full operation and held her Blazefire Saber in gun mode. She was sure Vincent finished off most of the Deepground forces nearby, but with the final moments of this battle arriving, she had to prepare for anything, no matter how impossible they would seem.

* * *

**I'm going back to only updating once a week, since school has started up again.**


	29. There's No Gettin' Off This Train

**There's No Gettin' Off This Train**

She had to take a breather the moment cold air whipped at her face, and yet she welcomed the breeze and inhaled deeply. Despite the threat imposed on her for the past few months, Lightning was surprised not much happened to her while in Deepground's clutches. It was certain there would be something different about her…but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No amputations or surgical scars, though her memories were still hazy. She definitely knew she was conscious for some part of her captivity, but the events that occurred during that time had escaped indefinitely.

Scoping the wrecked field, Lightning saw blazing fires accompanied by gunfire and sounds of battle. It wasn't too late to join the fray, and she was lucky her gunblade was still in its holster when she woke up just a few hours ago. Her phone, on the other hand, must have disappeared after her bout with Azul, and fat chance she was ever going to see it again.

As she was about to cross the crumbling courtyard in front of the tower, a sudden wave of nausea consumed her, the world spinning in her vision. A twinge of pain shot up her arm, starting from her elbow joint, and it coursed through the rest of her body. This sensation was familiar, and not in a good way; she was too focused on shutting out the pain to figure out when she had experienced this before.

Her breathing was shallow, debilitating her enough just in time to weakly notice Deepground soldiers swarm like insects from various nooks and crannies. The ones that rushed toward her the fastest were flourishing glistening swords, ready to cut through her flesh with ease. Lightning had prepared to fight against the first Deepground soldier, grabbing his arm before he could take a stab and twisting it to force the sword out. After a blow across the face, she sent him to the ground and picked up the sword to immediately block a strike from a second enemy.

Adrenaline was the only thing keeping their blades at bay, but she knew it wouldn't last for long, especially in her condition. She bit her tongue to ignore the pain crawling through her body, which did little to help her while the soldiers continued approaching. Her swings were as synchronized and smooth as possible until one of their weapons made a clean slice at her upper arm, drawing a crimson line across her skin to mirror her black bands on the opposite side.

When Lightning staggered back and glared at her overwhelming opponents, her eyes focused into the distance behind them and saw another wave of soldiers coming to join the fight. There was no sign of a cavalry for her, not that there was a good chance of anyone finding her here, of all places. Vincent was the only one who would have set this place as his destination, while the others drew the fight to other sectors and out of his way. At this point, many would see no hope in getting out alive…

But she had to see this through to the end - charge forward with guns blazing.

The tiniest smirk graced her lips as her pale aqua eyes held a fierce fire in their depths. Just as she charged forward, the roar of an engine echoed throughout the courtyard, and a sleek black vehicle leapt into the air before landing several yards away from her. Lightning's main focus was on the Deepground soldiers she pierced with the acquired blade, but her heart sprung with joy as she realized who had come to her aid. Slashing and pushing her way through the enemies, she surrounded herself with lifeless corpses before looking ahead to find that familiar spiky blond hair her hands ached to touch.

The sword cluttered to the ground as her eyes managed to lock with his. Around his motorcycle, more Deepground soldiers colored the ground crimson, struck down by his own blade that was stored back into its compartment. His blue-green eyes that were hard and cold suddenly warmed up at the sight of her, relief sweeping through his features in an instant. Lightning paid no mind to the sensation running up her arm – she had finally managed to escape Deepground's grasp, and by the end of the night, she and Cloud would finally be able to relax together.

The excitement grew so much, she almost failed to notice the abrupt shift to horror on Cloud's visage, his eyes glancing upward toward the sky. Lightning watched him rev the motorcycle's engine before a large chunk of concrete crashed to the ground not ten feet away from her. Startled, she followed Cloud's gaze, and all the blood drained from her face while a 20-foot wide mass of concrete hurtled toward her, emitting an odd cackling sound above it.

Even if she tried to shake off the numbness in her legs, she knew she couldn't dash to the side in time to avoid sudden death. Lightning quickly looked back toward Cloud, who was already coming up close with his left arm shot out toward her. On instinct, she took a few steps back and held her own left arm out, making sure it wasn't in the way of another piece of concrete threatening to end her life.

The impact was great; soon after his fingers wrapped around her arm, she was jerked back and swept off her feet. Her limbs and neck would have strained from the force if Cloud hadn't suddenly spun the bike around in countless circles, giving her the momentum to come around and land nimbly behind his seat. Once she was seated as securely as possible, the bike had skidded closer to the entrance and just barely missed the colossal block from smashing it to pieces. Cloud maneuvered the motorcycle to face the direction he came from and sped forward before the remaining smaller chunks tumbled down on their heads.

Weaving through the long corridors and alleys seemed easier now that the battles had worn them down, and within a few minutes, they reached the edge of the train graveyard. Most of the battles had drawn closer to the reactors, the main goals for the WRO, and it gave them a good chance to relax, even for the slightest moment. Once Cloud stopped the bike, Lightning hopped off and observed the field, grateful for the lack of WRO corpses littering the grounds. She bent forward and steadied herself on her knees, feeling that she had just jumped out of the freezer and straight into the frying pan. From here on out, it would be nothing but bloodshed until Omega was finally stopped…

_If_ it could be stopped.

Cloud turned off the engine and moved the kickstand before getting off the bike. With a final deep breath, Lightning braced herself for the scolding that was to come – that she was reckless for getting caught, or that it wasn't like her to be suddenly frozen when a deadly boulder hurtled straight down at her like a bulls-eye target. She had become used to finding herself in extreme situations, and therefore accustomed to the reprimanding of others, particularly Serah, who seemed more like Lightning's age rather than being younger. Biting her lip, she turned around dared to tilt her head up to face him…far from expecting his hands to grasp her cheeks and pull her to his face.

The moment his lips pressed firmly against hers, an energizing surge coursed through her veins, the fatigue far from her mind. Lightning's strength returned in an instant for her fingers to clutch his shirt and pull him close, allowing Cloud to snake his arms around her waist in a tight embrace. How long had it been since she last felt this vital warmth? Throughout her journey to the surface from Deepground, she feared the possibility of not seeing him at least one last time. If anything had happened, Lightning didn't want to think she wouldn't remember his rare gentle face, the deep glow in his eyes, or even the soft touch that was only meant for her.

They pulled away from each other to take heavy breaths, but even then, Cloud clutched her jaw with one hand to give infrequent lingering kisses before finally pressing his forehead against hers. Lightning ran her hands up his chest and locked them together behind his neck.

"I told you to be careful," he muttered in a low voice.

Her flushed cheeks seemed to grow a deeper crimson a moment afterward. So he _did_ hold it against her. "Sorry," she said almost instinctively. After everything she put him through, she could at least admit that it was some terrible luck on her part that got them in the worst situations. Lightning heavily moved her head to lean against his chest, soon feeling it rumble with his soft chuckle of relief.

"What happened to you down there?"

Hesitation caught her for a few moments, and she pulled away with knitted brows. "I…don't remember…" Lightning went through her memories, trying to dig up any resources she had left…but came up with nothing. "The last thing was fighting Azul back at headquarters…but after that, nothing."

It was Cloud's turn to look worried, and he put his hands on Lightning's shoulders in case she felt unsteady. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, we gotta get to the reactors and cut them off from—"

"Omega," she finished, understanding the goal. Cloud nodded before turning back to his bike, reaching over the handle bars and ejecting the sword compartments. "What about Tifa and the others?"

"Lightning!"

At the sound of her name, she turned around and saw the woman in question bound up and pull her into a tight embrace. Just a few steps farther back, Barret hurried as fast as he could, dirt sticking to his face and clothes while his gun arm was fully morphed. As she saw a smile of relief appear on his face, it finally hit Lightning how hard it must have been for them to get to this sector. Getting through the Deepground masses should have been tough, but they still made the effort to see if she was all right.

She wrapped her arms around Tifa and returned the hug. "Hey."

"Are you all right?" Barret asked.

"Yeah," Lightning replied with a nod as Tifa stepped back to look at her. "How is everybody out there?"

"For now, our side's holdin' up well. We got WRO fightin' Deepground while the rest of us head to the reactors."

Cloud's phone chirped, and he pulled it out to check the text message he just received. "Reeve's group is close to one of them," he announced before snapping his phone shut. "And if we get moving now, I could take out a bunch." Sheathing the last of his blades in the holster, he approached the group with the main blade in hand.

Barret grinned from ear to ear. "Gettin' full o' yourself again, Spiky?"

It was believed he wouldn't give in to the old AVALANCHE leader's taunts, what with the relatively hard expression on his face, but Lightning's brows almost shot up as Cloud shrugged.

"I'll head to 4 and 5." His mako-green eyes then scrutinized Barret as he gave a tiny smirk. "If I get them out before you can even destroy one…"

"Guys!" Tifa yelled when Lightning released a scoff of disbelief. "You can have your competitions some other time." After a slight shake of her head, Tifa nodded toward Lightning with a softer expression. "Light, are you up to the challenge?"

Clenching her hands into fists before relaxing, she wanted to make sure she wasn't in danger of another wave of nausea. "I'll take Sector 3," she assured with a nod.

Tifa was just a moment away from saying another word before a bright flash illuminated the dark sectors around them. As they looked back toward the edge of the sectors, they saw the sixth and seventh reactors erupt into masses of fire and debris, signaling the beginning of the end.

"Time to get goin'!" Barret turned back to Cloud and Lightning with a grin. "This is it. There's no gettin' off this train we on…"

"Till we reach the end of the line," Cloud and Tifa finished with minimal enthusiasm, yet with bright grins that carried nostalgia. Before taking off, Barret clapped a hand on Cloud's shoulder and nodded to Lightning, heading toward the outskirts of Midgar. Tifa spotted a wandering team of WRO members and suggested tagging along for part of their trek.

"No giving up!" she called back to Cloud and Lightning with a quick wave just before disappearing with the soldiers.

Turning around, Lightning saw Cloud peer up at the colossal Shinra building in the middle of the city. As energy from the remaining reactors surge toward the building, a strange form appeared from light and smoke, taking up enough space to act as a new tower toward the skies. Massive wings sprouted from its shoulders, giving off a glowing mako hue. It was clad in nothing but metal and armor, and it was easy to deduce that this was the mighty Omega – the monstrosity that threatened the very life of the Planet. All around, the reactors pulsed with Lifestream essence, flowing straight into the leeching Weapon. If things continued as they were, the Planet would be well on its way to being an empty husk.

Without a word, Cloud turned back to Lightning and nodded, his face hard and determined. She silently complied and followed his quick pace toward their assigned reactors. Many of Cloud's hellish nightmares, along with Vincent's and everyone else's, started at this one spot. Over the years, they had constantly been haunted by the pain and torture this company had wrought.

But it would all end tonight.

* * *

Mounds of bodies littered the Midgar streets, fairly equal amounts from both Deepground and WRO. Lightning's rage was easily measured, but she did well in not letting it consume her as she and Cloud made their way to Sector 3. In time, they finally began to close in on the very active reactor, which was moderately guarded by Deepground elites.

"Keep going," Lightning growled from behind Cloud. "I'll take care of these guys."

He knew to trust her, but uneasiness still crept up his limbs when a heavy armored soldier appeared in the masses. Taking the opportunity, he rushed ahead to leap high into the air, bringing his sword straight down at the bulky opponent to take him out in one go. Lightning stopped for the slightest moment, frowning at the apparent loss of a challenge, but continued rushing toward the soldiers when Cloud flashed past them to head toward the next sector.

Despite the forces, Deepground was a little threat that she easily dispatched, littering bodies all around her like before. Tilting her head up, she saw the bright mako stream connecting the reactor to Omega, and it fed the monster with energy in every pulse. Lightning flipped the Blazefire Saber into gun mode, aimed it at the glowing stream, and unleashed an endless line of bullets. They ripped into the mako energy as if it was fabric, and with enough shots, the last of the lines flew off, disrupting the bond and taking one more power source away from Omega.

As soon as she completed her mission, Lightning felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Reeve's name illuminate the screen before flipping it open.

"Sector 3's done," she announced.

"Excellent," Reeve replied just before she heard other lines beginning to pick up and connect. Lightning checked her phone for a slight moment – a conference call.

"Sorry for the wait," said Cloud's voice. Over the massive rubble and debris, Lightning saw the sector 5 reactor explode in a bright flash; the one in sector 4 was already turning to ash.

"Everything's clear over here!" Tifa chirped in the midst of grunts and battle shrieks.

"Meet up in Sector 7," Reeve told them. "All we can do is wait for Vincent to stop Omega from the inside."

Lightning hung up and dashed toward Reeve's location. Along the way, she noticed the rest of the reactors igniting in a burst of flame, cutting Omega entirely off from its main power source. It would all be over soon, and this long night could be done and over with. As that thought finally got through to her, she actually felt excited about the peaceful days returning to their lives. If she couldn't find a way back to Pulse, would it really be that bad? She still had Cloud and the others at the 7th Heaven bar. Perhaps it would be even better than before, now that Deepground would no longer be in the way.

She felt herself grin at that – a life with everyone on the Planet, living as normally as it could get without worries. _'Serah,'_ she begged with a twinge of guilt. _'I'm sorry. I might not be there for you anymore, but I know you'll be all right. I hope you'll grow up strong and be protected by Snow and the others. I hope you'll have a family, have great kids and grow old with them. But most of all…I hope you'll be happy.'_

As she approached, Sector 7, she saw Reeve with Yuffie and the Tsviet from before. Lightning slowed her pace until she stopped and glared in the young girl's direction, her mind at a lost.

"Lightning," she heard from behind her. Cloud came up and placed a hand on the small of her back before carefully examining her hard expression.

"What's she doing there?" Lightning asked in a wary voice, raising a pointed finger toward the girl standing next to Yuffie.

Cloud sighed and looked at her with gentle eyes. "It's all right. She's with us now. Actually, she helped us get Cid's fleet into Midgar." Barret and Tifa rushed past them from behind to regroup with Reeve and the WRO squads.

"That girl helped me save more lives than I woulda done with my crazy commands," Cid commented as he approached Lightning and Cloud. Mulling it over, Lightning finally decided it was for the best, anyway. She was certainly glad everyone got into Midgar without too many casualties, and it was probably thanks to Shelke.

The sound of wings flapping got their attention and had them look up into the dark sky. Chaos loomed in the air before Omega, the sight seeming like it was preordained from the beginning of time. Deep in her heart, Lightning prayed Vincent would come out of this successful…and alive. She clutched Cloud's hand and gripped it tightly, failing to notice the brief look of surprise on his face just before Vincent streamed across the sky in red. A blinding force slammed into Omega's transparent barrier just as Vincent drew closer, and he disappeared within the colossus with no indication if he made it through or not.

Biting her lip, Lightning wondered what awaited her comrade within the Weapon…but a strange wave of nausea flowed through her once again. Pain throbbed from the crook of her elbow, pulsating upward to the rest of her body; her vision either blurred or darkened with every beat, and the world suddenly began to spin. She felt like retching on the ground, but she was already too tired to do even that.

As her head dropped forward, Lightning quickly slumped to the ground, her arm slightly raised so that she still held Cloud's hand. She heard her name very faintly in the distance. Or was it right next to her? It was impossible to figure out, especially when everything became a blank soon after.

* * *

Cool water slid down her throat, creating an odd sensation at first, but in due time, her whole body responded with relief. The dull pain was slowly receding, though it certainly took a toll on what little strength she already had left from escaping Deepground. Moments passed before she realized there was something warm pressing against her lips – probably the source of the water, which she was terribly grateful for.

However, it felt all too familiar, belonging to a certain someone who was the first person that came to her mind. As the warm source retracted from her face, Lightning's eyes drifted open to find Cloud looking down at her worriedly, his thumb wiping away a trickle of water from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, can you hear me?" he asked anxiously. As her eyelids started to grow heavy for just a moment, his arm that was looped around her shoulders shook her with some agitation. "Lightning!"

She blinked wildly and shook the cobwebs out of her head. In the dimly lit cache not too far away from the rest of WRO, Lightning realized how Cloud was gently cradling her in his lap, making sure she was in the most comfortable position possible amongst the rubble.

"Cloud," she muttered, and it was enough to prompt him into scooping her up and crushing her to his chest. Lightning could feel him heave with deep aggravated breaths, a lump getting caught in her throat – how many times did she have to push him to his limits like this?

When he pulled away, he delicately brushed her cheeks with his thumbs, gazing deeply into her eyes...and chuckling with disbelief. "I swear, you're gonna give me a heart attack one day."

"Sorry," she muttered like before; she shifted to sit on the back of her legs as she made a place for herself beside Cloud. Trying to think back, Lightning ran a hand through her hair. "Must have been tired from…"

Cloud softly laughed before shaking his head. "I get it." He reached up and gently took her hand into his, subtly checking for any shakiness or other red lights he should have been aware of. "When this is all over, I'll make sure Reeve gives you a whole _week_ off."

After giving a gentle smirk, Lightning glanced up at the giant colossus still towering over the rest of Midgar in the center of the city. "Has Vincent…?"

She heard Cloud sigh. "No, he's still in there. It's been about ten minutes." When Lightning turned back to him, all he could give was a tight grimace and a light shrug. "All everyone else has been doing is fighting off the last of Deepground we could find. All that's left is Omega."

With a tired sigh, Lightning moved to rest her head on Cloud's shoulder, taking the lucky reprieve to regain her strength.

"Lightning. About Vincent…"

After feeling his muscles tense, she realized he and the others still hadn't been told of what happened. Lifting her head, Lightning shook her head and faintly smiled. "It's all right," she assured. "We talked when he found me at the tower. We're good now."

Cloud raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Really? Just like that?"

In response, Lightning nodded. "I know it's not Vincent's fault for what happened. I just needed time to take it all in." Her face then turned sour, looking at Cloud while filled with regret. "But snapping at you like I did…I'm sorry."

Seeing her sadness seemed to have made it spread to him, too. Cloud turned away for a brief moment before dropping his head past his shoulders, scratching it from behind. "I shouldn't have lost it, either," he admitted. "Thinking you'd rather go back to Pulse than stay here…it's understandable. It's your home, and believe me – I'd give up a whole lot just to be back in Nibelheim." His voice trailed away at that last part, and Lightning could see his eyes going back to the far past, before death and destruction riddled his youth.

However, a single blink made his eyes refocus, and he continued on. "Listen," he said just before turning toward her, looking deeply into her eyes. "After all this, if you need time to think things over, I'll understand. I'll give you space – probably head to Kalm or something…"

Lightning frowned at what he was proposing and vehemently shook her head before taking his head into her hands. "No, no. Cloud – listen to me." The melancholy didn't go away in his eyes, but at least he stopped drowning in his guilt for the time being. "I'm not holding anything against you," she assured in a clear voice before dropping her hands. "You were hurt by what I said, so that only means one thing. You really do care."

Saying it aloud made a full impact on her, and she gently smiled as a new light seemed to have surrounded the man before her. "If you care about me that much, how the hell can I be mad with you? I love you, Cloud, and as long as I'm here on the Planet, you're stuck with me." Lightning said the last bit with a hint of sarcasm, but it couldn't have made him any more ecstatic than the first night they shared together.

Snaking an arm around her waist, Cloud pulled her close and reached up toward her lips. She instantly cupped his face in her hands as their lips melded together, sparking a warmer, gentler sensation than before. For the shortest moment, Lightning could have cared less about going home, about reminiscing of her old life on Pulse and living with her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law. It was this moment that made her feel like the happiest woman in the world, and being with Cloud made everything not just better, but perfect.

A bright flash of green light got their attention, and they broke away to gaze up into the sky. Omega stirred from its long-dormant position; its eyes glowed brightly as its wings finally moved in synchronization, beating faster by the second.

"Omega's ascending!" Reeve said just as Cloud stepped out into the open. Lightning stayed close to the cache, staring warily up at the colossus. In a matter of seconds, it would destroy the Planet.

'_We didn't cut off the reactors in time,'_ she thought with frustration. _'Vincent…!'_

Just then, a streak of crimson shot higher in the air than Omega, spreading its wings just a few miles above and hovering for the shortest of moments. The creature let out a piercing shriek before a bright flash emanated from its entire being, and it dropped head first straight for Omega. The impact was barely visible, but the blinding light that came afterward didn't help. Everything turned white for the longest of seconds before the black sky finally began to open up.

As silence consumed Midgar, everyone's eyes were fixated on the skies, searching for the giant Weapon that vanished into thin air. Not a single trace was found…until millions of mako particles came forth, dispersing across space to replace the stars. While they fluttered to the ground, everyone continued gazing up, searching for the brave soul that stopped the end of the world…

But he was gone, too.

Lightning noticed a sole mako particle drawing closer to her. She reached out with her hand like she did in the Lifestream…but her eyes focused in on how transparent her limb was. The effect slowly ran up her arm and spread over her body like a disease; the ground became visible through her feet, and her senses felt like they were being suddenly cut off from the world.

"Cloud?"

She looked up and saw him approaching with tightly knit brows, scanning her figure with the most bewildered of expressions. His fingers reached up and curled around her hands; the warmth was there but growing fainter by the second.

"What's going on?" Lightning asked desperately. Whatever was happening to her, she didn't like it one bit.

Cloud's face mimicked her distress, though he tried hard to control it in order to think straight. "Chaos must be dead," he speculated briefly before turning back to look up at the sky. "Vincent..."

As time ticked by, her body grew transparent. The cold wind no longer bit at her skin, and the smell of smoke and ash turned into nothing. A shiver ran up her spine, but even that was hard to feel.

"Am I gonna die, too?" Her voice shook in every word. "I don't understand."

"She's going home," said a voice from behind.

Cloud spun on his heel, his hand still doing its best to grip Lightning's. "Reeve."

The WRO commissioner approached them with a relatively grim expression. "Chaos and Omega are…dead." His gaze deviated at the last word; Lightning could see the difficulty to accept the possible loss of a comrade. "From the research we found so far…upon their deaths, all extraterrestrial acts will be reversed."

It all made sense in her head…though she gravely wished that it wasn't true. If it weren't for Chaos, Vincent wouldn't have been able to reach Pulse and take Lightning away. He was like a tether to keep her on the Planet, and now the tether was finally severed.

A year ago, this revelation would have made her ecstatic. She would have quickly dropped everything and prepare for a trip back home, ready to point her gunblade at Vincent. With a ride home just a trigger pull away, she could have cared less about what the others thought about her.

It was different now. Vincent was a comrade she trusted, she had a life here that she actually liked and wanted to keep…and a part of her truly wanted to stay.

"No." Her head shook violently as her bottom lip quivered. "No, no! I can't leave now! Cloud, I don't want to go!" Before she knew it, tears began streaming down her cheeks, and heavy sobs wracked her chest to no end. Lightning was in Cloud's arms in an instant, doing whatever she could to remain here with him. The feel of his shirt was fading, no matter how vigorously she rubbed her face into it. Even when her arms reached around to hug him close, it was like she was slipping out of consciousness, and she couldn't fight against it.

Struggling to keep his voice even, Cloud's chest heaved as he listened to Lightning's cries. "Shh, shh, it'll be okay." It pained him to even say the words, but something had to be done to keep her from breaking down. "You'll see Serah and your friends, you can go to Nautilus, see the fireworks display…" He meant to sound happy and assuring, but it didn't stop the iron grip tightening in his chest. His arms locked around her to the best of his abilities, realizing he would probably never feel her touch or inhale her scent again. By then, most of their friends took notice of Lightning's predicament and gathered around, their eyes filled with shock and sadness.

Lightning choked on her sobs, knowing it was too late to try and stop it. Her grip on Cloud wasn't enough; she was barely visible to the rest of the team, for they could only make out her pink hair to know she was still with them. After having to let go of her old life back on Pulse, it would be just as heart-wrenching to leave the Planet behind…especially the one person she refused to let go of.

How would things be like once she disappeared from this world? Was there a legacy to leave behind? Would anyone even remember her? She couldn't bear the thought of simply fading from everyone's minds – a fleeting thought that meant nothing to them. All she had worked for, everything she had done with Cloud and the others…Lightning wanted those memories to stay with them just as they would stay with her forever.

"I love you," she let out in a bare whisper, almost drowned by her sobs.

Her words shattered Cloud inside as he fought back the tears coming forth in his eyes. If he broke down now, Lightning would surely be in despair once she returned to Pulse. He couldn't burden her with that guilt once she got home. She had already given up hopes and dreams to be here with him; this was simply the one thing he could do for her, and knowing that he was still in her heart was enough for him to let her go.

His lips pressed fiercely against her temple as Cloud pulled her into a tighter embrace. "I love you." He pulled back to see her tear-stricken face, her eyes still gleaming in what little light was left around them. As she let out the weakest of smiles, his hand reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears that were fading quickly.

And she was gone.

There was no trace of her left in front of Cloud. Unlike Omega and the mako particles, Lightning simply vanished before their eyes, an illusion that left a year of memories behind. Cloud couldn't do anything – he couldn't smile or frown or sob. His face held nothing, wiped clean of emotions as he slowly turned to face the rest of the team. Barret, Reeve, and Cid held sadness lingering in their expressions. Yuffie crumpled to the ground on her knees, holding her face in her hands as the tears washed down her cheeks. Closest to him, Tifa covered her gaping mouth with one hand as her gleaming eyes looked upon Cloud with sympathy.

No words were spoken, and it felt like forever when Cloud finally reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand back out, the lightning bolt pendant rested in his palm, winking up at him as light gleamed off its silver edges.

She wouldn't be forgotten. Not by a long shot.


	30. The Welcome-Home Party is Waiting

**Looks Like the Welcome-Home Party is Waiting**

The bright sun radiated in the sky, revealing the natural beauty of New Bodhum. It was almost an exact replica of the original city on Cocoon, save for the hazard perimeter protecting them from vicious Pulsian wildlife. Since the fall of the great continent just a year ago, everyone had worked hard to make life on Pulse bearable and safe, if not normal.

Still, it was hard to keep a smile on Serah's face for any longer than five minutes. Snow had tried countless times for the first few months, but it was inevitable for him to just step back and let her deal with it on her own.

Today was one of those days that were starting to become extremely rare. As Snow and the rest of NORA sat around Lebreau's bar, Serah leaned against the railing on the patio, holding her head up to stop it from falling off her shoulders. On a normal day, she would have been with everyone else inside, taking the free summer time for granted until school started up again…

But that dream last night was impossible to ignore. She hadn't talked about Lightning for so long, but seeing her sister's face didn't bring the expected pain in her chest. Thinking about her finally brought hope and light into Serah's eyes.

'_She's out there,'_ she reminded herself for the ten thousandth time. _'Lightning's alive – I just know it.'_

It was that one idea that captivated her whole attention for the day. This past year, she struggled against the belief that Lightning was truly dead, and this was the jumpstart that reassured the gut feeling inside.

But then, if she was even alive, who was to say she could come back?

That debilitated Serah to her last straw. Gripping the railing, she leaned back and sighed. Who was she kidding? There were barely any leads on Lightning's whereabouts, and their only clue was a girl who had just woken up from crystal stasis. For all they knew, it was just probably Serah dreaming while in crystal. Maybe Lightning really _was_ holding up Cocoon with Vanille and Fang. Nobody had tried to check for fear of ruining the pillar, but what else could be a possible explanation?

Giving up indefinitely, she let go of the rail and straightened herself before heading toward the bar's entrance. Peering inside, she found her fiancé and the rest of NORA goofing off just like any other day in the lounge. Maqui and Yuj got into one of their usual bickering debates, and the others were left to enjoy the spontaneous entertainment. Glancing up from the main sofa, Snow noticed Serah just a few yards away, his smile softening in that gentle way that was only for her. He knew it was one of those days she felt like being by herself for just a while, and he was more than happy to give her space.

Serah was always grateful for how kind he was. Since his time as a l'Cie, Snow must have learned when to not just charge in to matters with guns blazing. If Lightning were here, it would be amazing to see her and Snow in the same room without her wanting to kick his ass within the first five minutes. Serah was surprised herself when her big sister gave the two of them her blessing.

When she _hypothetically_ gave them her blessing.

She pressed her lips tightly together, turning away in time so Snow wouldn't notice. She had to stop doing that and try to be happy. As her eyes deviated to the sky, she noticed the sun beginning to descend, though not quite touching the horizon yet. What she would give for a star to wish upon….

A tiny ball of light glistened in the vast space, bright enough to be seen against the sun's rays. At first, she assumed it was some aircraft heading back toward Cocoon, finishing up some scouting mission…but it started to grow in size and radiance. It was directed toward the ground, though it drew closer by the second. Serah worried it would crash into her seaside village until she heard a loud whistle through the air as the UFO landed into the waters with a loud splash just a few yards from the shore.

The noise got the attention of everyone in the village; people ran back into the perimeters while others rushed out of their homes, their heads turned to the waters stretched out before them. Serah stepped to the top of the bar's stairs, and everyone inside came to stand right behind her.

"What was that?" Snow asked as he placed a hand on Serah's shoulder.

His fiancée just shook her head. "I'm not sure…" Despite her words, her hopes began to soar inside. It was crazy, but she had nothing else coming to mind.

At first, the waters remained still for what seemed like the longest time…until a head burst forth from the surface to gasp for air. Everyone in the village muttered incoherent speculations, wondering exactly who could be suddenly falling from the skies. The figure struggled to stay afloat and collect its thoughts, and in time, it began to make its way toward the village.

Serah rushed down the steps and headed to the edge, her eyes squinting in defiance of the glaring sun. A voice was muttering in a very familiar tone, all the while gasping for air as it staggered closer. By the time the water was waist deep, the figure straightened up and sighed, directly facing Serah, who had difficulty completely seeing who was right in front of her.

There was one thing she could definitely make out, though – light pink hair, in a similar shade to her own.

"Serah," it said in a voice she knew all too well. Her heart felt like bursting out of her ribcage, ecstasy rushing through her to make her limbs spring into action. The figure took just a few more steps forward, getting in the way of the sun, and Serah could finally see her clearly just before a wide grin broke out on her face.

"_Lightning_!"

She threw her arms over Lightning's shoulders, caring less about the soaked uniform she was pressing into. It only made the moment more real, reaffirming the truth that no one could deny anymore. Lightning was here.

Lightning was alive.

"I missed you!" Serah cried out on the verge of tears, very much like the day she awoke from crystal stasis.

Speechless, Lightning hugged her close, mixing the sea water on her face with her own tears. Her chest heaved as utter joy filled every part of her; she rubbed her cheek into Serah's hair, and she was home.

"Serah," she croaked this time, her throat choking on a sob. "How long…?"

The younger sister pulled away, tears falling down her cheeks as she looked up. "You've been gone for a whole year." She very briefly shook her head, still unable to believe what was right in front of her. "W-What happened to you? Where did you go?! I thought—"

"Lightning," said a voice just behind Serah. Looking back at the shore, they saw Snow trudge up with a pale face, his eyes fixated on his future sister. "It's really you."

Lightning breathlessly chuckled before giving him a wry smile. "Of course it's me, you idiot."

Though Serah would naturally frown at the many insults Lightning threw at him, she was glad it was all the more assuring that it wasn't just a dream.

With a beaming grin and raucous laugh, Snow rushed up and crushed Lightning in a bear hug. At first, she thought about punching him to set herself free, but she found herself amazed at how much she missed the big oaf.

He swung her around in a circle, Serah off to the side in joyous laughter. Soon enough, he reached out with one arm and pulled Serah into the embrace, and for the first time ever, the three of them were like one happy family – something that had only dreamed about for so long.

"Where have you been all this time?" Snow asked as he set them down. "We all thought you were crystal, with Fang and Vanille."

"_Heeey_! Lightning!"

Back at the bar, Gadot and the rest of NORA waved their arms around in excitement. For once, Lightning actually felt happy to see the ridiculous group; nothing much had changed in a whole year, which she was kind of grateful for.

"I'll tell you everything later," she promised Snow and Serah before smirking. "Looks like the welcome-home party is waiting."

With a goofy smile, Snow ran back to the bar, whooping and shouting all the way: "She's back! Come on! We gotta celebrate!"

Chuckling, Serah took Lightning's hand and started pulling her forward. All the while, she continued glancing back at her sister, making sure it wasn't an illusion, until her head tilted to the side.

"Hey, Light. Is that an earring?"

The smile faded away in shock as the memories came flooding back. In an instant, her hand was at her ear, feeling the stud in the shape of a wolf's head. Lightning abruptly stopped in her tracks, jerking Serah to freeze as well.

With deep breaths, she finally felt it – the hole in her chest that was going to mock her for the rest of her life. Lightning wondered if it would ever disappear, if she would ever see him again. She was able to leave this world once…maybe she could do it again.

For now, they settled on being apart, but she couldn't say if she could endure it long enough. With the last glimmer of hope she had left, Lightning turned back to the sunset, the rays glinting off her shimmering eyes, and prayed.

_**When two people part and go their separate ways, their memories split as well. Some people wish they could go back and be together like before. Others look forward to the day they can meet again.**_

* * *

**I debated or not whether to post this final chapter along with Ch. 29, but seeing how it's brutal to make you wait that long, I decided to complete the Vessel now instead of waiting for a whole week.**

**Now, if this story ended here, it could be a solid ending...**

**_BUT! _I am working on a sequel. Since the beginning, I had planned for this story to span the events of DoC _and_ Final Fantasy XIII-2 in a trilogy set. The Vessel is part 1 of a project titled Guardians of the Legacy. Tbh, I was getting iffy about actually going through with the trilogy when the response was dwindling in the second half of The Vessel, but the reviews I got on the Ch. 29 definitely encouraged me to continue.**

**So, given that I will be eventually posting up the sequel, here are some things y'all can think about to understand where I'm going with the plot:**

**1) What exactly instigated Vincent - or the Chaos entity within Vincent - to pull Lightning off of Pulse and drop her onto the Planet/Gaia?  
****2) Why was Deepground so intrigued with Lightning? Consider who the ultimate bad guy was, who was pulling the strings behind everything.  
****3) Something happened to Lightning when she was captive in Deepground, which immediately sets up the conflict and story of the sequel.**

**So, look out for my new story - Guardians of the Legacy: The Hero. I'm unsure of when I'll start posting, given that I have applications to go through, work, and other things piling up.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, reviewing, laughing, ranting, and crying while reading my story. If it weren't for you guys, I probably would have ended the journey here altogether.**

**Lil' Miss Mezzo**


	31. NOTICE

**Attention, y'all. ****Guardians of the Legacy: The Hero**** is published with two chapters so far. If you wanna give the sequel a chance, head to my profile page and search for ****GotL: The Hero****.**

**I had a lot of fun writing ****The Vessel****, and here's to hoping you and I can enjoy the sequel :)**


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